Custom Automated Machines: How Are Robots Affecting Employment?
The use of robots in the workplace is becoming more popular and is boosting the efficiency and effectiveness of manufacturing. Consider, for example, automated robotic systems, which have become extremely useful in assemblies to improve the quality of production. Along with this comes increasing fear among employees that they will soon be replaced completely by robots. The fact is, the industry of custom automated machines will continue to grow and evolve. Yes, they will perform some jobs better than human employees, but that is nothing to be afraid about.
Effect on Employment Is Greatly Overestimated
Sociology professor Eric Dahlin recently completed a study designed to analyze the relationship between job loss and robots. Dahlin surveyed 2,000 people on their perceptions of robots being in the workplace, and their opinions on how that correlates with the loss of human jobs. The study showed that around 14 percent of people have been subject to job displacement due to increased use of custom automated machines, but their perception of job loss due to these robots is exaggerated by a lot.
Those who have been replaced by robots in their jobs have estimated that around 47 percent of all jobs have been taken over. Those who haven’t lost their jobs still overestimated by over half of the true statistics, at 29 percent. Whether the participants in this survey have actually been subject to job loss or not, their fears are still doubling or even tripling the actual effect robots have on human employment.
Robots Making the Workplace More Efficient
On the contrary to what people believe, automated machinery is actually being used to increase the efficiency of human workers. Dahlin gives the example of the aviation industry: Robots used to paint airplanes can complete the task in around 24 minutes. This example shows that robots are completing tasks in hours or minutes that would take human workers up to many days to complete. Still, these robots are not completely taking over the labor.
Another example is the use of robotic systems in assemblies. Without using these systems, products would take much more time to manufacture, and even run the risk of sacrificing quality. Instead, if assemblies are equipped with these custom automated robotic systems, they can help produce at a much faster rate, and make sure all of the products meet quality standards. This does not mean that there are no humans needed in assemblies, only that robots will work alongside humans to increase to the highest productivity and help companies be even more successful.
Custom Automated Machines and Your Business
We have established that automated machinery can be of great help in the workplace to increase productivity, efficiency and quality, while not completely replacing human jobs. The use of robots helps companies become the best manufacturers that they can, which is our goal for our clients.
Automated Machine Systems stays up to date with the newest technology to help your business grow to its maximum productivity. Book a meeting with us to discuss your goals for your business, and how custom automated machines can help you achieve them.
