Throwing robots at an assembly line won’t solve a factory’s problems
While
automation can increase efficiency in factories, robots can’t simply
plug in to any worker’s role and instantly save money.
Automating intelligently: Tesla is a case in point. It had to shut down Model 3 production last month to “improve automation.” The manufacturer wrongly assumed its robots could pull off tasks that other companies have yet to automate.
The solution: As a recent article in Harvard Business Review explains, factories must redesign their processes, not just buy (or build) more advanced robots. Manufacturing procedures must be engineered from the ground up to take advantage of a robot’s skills.
For example: Automation has helped BMW’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina double production to over 400,000 cars annually. But the factory’s robotic painting process hasn’t changed since humans did it. It still takes 12 hours, more than 100 robots, and four miles of travel in the factory to paint a car.
Automating intelligently: Tesla is a case in point. It had to shut down Model 3 production last month to “improve automation.” The manufacturer wrongly assumed its robots could pull off tasks that other companies have yet to automate.
The solution: As a recent article in Harvard Business Review explains, factories must redesign their processes, not just buy (or build) more advanced robots. Manufacturing procedures must be engineered from the ground up to take advantage of a robot’s skills.
For example: Automation has helped BMW’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina double production to over 400,000 cars annually. But the factory’s robotic painting process hasn’t changed since humans did it. It still takes 12 hours, more than 100 robots, and four miles of travel in the factory to paint a car.
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