Control Engineering UK http://www.controlengeurope.com March 2019 UK

A

t long last the UK appears
to be re-awakening
to the importance of
manufacturing. While it
may have been the failings
of other parts of our economy that has
re-focussed attention, the end result is a
strong desire to get more productive.
Innovation in the field of product
and process design has always been a
UK strength but the cost of producing
goods has become a big issue as others
do it much more cheaply. And it is
not just because the cost of labour is
lower in other countries but also that
their manufacturers have more readily
adopted automation.
The obvious need is for UK
manufacturers to drive down unit costs
while, at the same time, assuring high
and consistent quality. Automation is
the key ingredient here but the sad
fact is that less than 0.5% of worldwide
robots sold last year were installed in
the UK, according to figures from the
International Federation of Robotics
(IFR) World Robotics Industrial Robot
Report 2018.

It is certainly true that traditionally

robots were costly and inflexible and

required specialist and time-consuming

set-up. Naturally this resulted in many

manufacturers being reticent to take

the plunge unless production volumes

justified the investment. More recently,

automation vendors have responded to

this reticence by completely opening-

up the market and today there has

never been a better time for UK

manufacturers to invest.

The options are now extensive.

Robots – both stand-alone and those

that work collaboratively with humans

¬– allow manufacturers to consider

modular automation systems that

grow with their business. They are

easy to specify, install and programme

and many are also Internet of Things

(IoT) ready with built-in, standard

communication protocols.

By investing in flexible

manufacturing and systems with fast

set-up, manufacturers can also swiftly

accommodate product design changes

and also make a greater variety of

products.

Impacting the skills shortage

Automation can also have an

important impact on the skills shortage.

Engineering UK, a not-for-profit

organisation which works in partnership

with the engineering community, has

predicted an annual shortfall of 59,000.

Engineers are coming into industry

both as graduates and increasingly as

apprentices but not in sufficiently high

numbers to sustain the momentum.

These young people need to

see engineering as a sector that is

both dynamic and challenging. And

investment in automation can actively

help UK manufacturing to shake off its

backward and grimy image and offer

rewarding employment.

More than ever we need this new

breed of skilled and enthusiastic

engineers to build a manufacturing base

that the world’s designers choose above

others for its high quality and cost-

efficiency production.!

Peter Williamson is managing

director at R.A. Rodriguez (UK)

and RARUK Automation.

AUTOMATION IS KEY FOR UK

MANUFACTURING GROWTH

Peter Williamson argues that automation is key to manufacturing growth,

and to plugging the skills shortage.

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