Industrial robots have dramatically increased the scope for the replacement of human labor as compared to the machines of the past because they minimize the need for any human intervention during the automated processes. Some of the typical applications used for industrial robots include welding, processing, handling, dispensing, and assembling whereby each of them is prevalent with regards to the manufacturing industries. Furthermore, the price of the industrial robots reduced due to the technological change by about 80 percent while it was still being sampled. Evidently, the utilization of robots grew immensely from 1993 to 2007 and the number of industrial robots working increased to almost 150 percent. The countries which rapid adaptions to robot use were Italy, Denmark, Germany and the United States and they also produced the metal and chemical industries.
Interestingly, several techniques have come up to develop robots and robotics. One way is the evolutionary robotics whereby different robots go through tests. The one that perform the best are usually utilized as a model that can create the subsequent robot generation. The other method is the developmental robotics that track development and changes in one robot particularly in problem-solving areas as well as other related functions. Subsequently, a new kind of robot that has been introduced could acts as a robot and smartphone at the same time (RoboHon).
As the robots keep on advancing, there could be the standard computer operated system that is designed specifically for the robots. The first machine that was successfully used as an automatic model was the Glass Bottle Blowing machine which was introduced in the year 1905. This machine was operated by two men that worked 12 hour shifts; this managed to produce over 17,000 bottles each day. This is a significant difference as compared to the 2,800 bottles that are made by a six man crew that works for an entire day. Therefore, the related cost of making the bottles through use of a machine goes own significantly in comparison with manual helpers and glassblowers.
Before automation took place, most chemical were created in batches. For instance, in 1930, there was a widespread utilization of instruments as well as the emerging controller use: continuous production. On the other hand, during the 1840s, James Nasmyth developed self-acting machines which displaced the hand dexterity in order for them to be operated by unskilled laborers. These machine tools got automated with the Numerical Control (NC) by using a punched paper tape which existed during the 1950s. Eventually, this was modified to Computerized Numerical Control (CNC).
Currently, widespread automation is being practiced virtually in every kind of assembly and manufacturing process. Various of these larger processes entail generation of electric power, chemicals, oil refining, plastics, steel mills, fertilizer plants, truck and automobile assembly, pulp and paper mills, beverage and food processing, glass manufacturing, bottling and canning, Natural Gas Separation plants and the manufacture of several types of parts. Furthermore, the robots are particularly useful when it comes to hazardous applications such as automobile spray painting. Additionally, robots are used in assembling the electronic circuit boards. The automotive welding is also performed by robots and the automatic welders can be used in some applications like the pipelines.
Currently, the demand for the engineers has increased because they implement the holistic projects within manufacturing and production. Furthermore, they are assumed to have knowledge of how manufacturing can be organized while basing it on technology, flexibility, quality and economics because optimal solutions have to be developed for the tasks that have been given. Hence, they also place into consideration, the characteristics of the products, their life cycle, profitability, energy consumption, production volume, automation components re-usability, worker’s training, performance, quality and flexibility of installation. Engineer training mainly focuses on building the complex machines rather than the growing speed of technological advancements. Furthermore, the robotics and automation engineers should concentrate of robot’s capabilities. If this is supported by the universities whereby application of robotics and technology is focused on then better engineers will be produced.
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