The first industrial revolution transformed the manufacturing industry. The introduction of automation to supplement the flesh-and-blood factory workforce boosted productivity and cut operating costs. Now, in the digital age, robots are revolutionizing the industrial sector. Thanks to artificial intelligence (AI) and other technological advances, robots have become an integral part of production processes, helping companies of all shapes and sizes meet mounting demands for efficiency, quality, safety and speed to market.

Manufacturing robots can take over tasks that are difficult, dangerous, time-consuming or require a degree of precision or strength not possible in humans, creating opportunities for production workers to focus on more valuable or rewarding work. As these various robotic systems become ever more advanced, affordable and available, a wide array of manufacturers are realizing their many benefits, including increased speed to market, improved safety, stabilized supply chains and a robust bottom line.

What Is Robotics in Manufacturing?

Manufacturers across various industries are taking advantage of robotic automation to improve product quality, boost productivity and reduce labor costs. There are many types of robots, suited to various use cases, on the factory floor. Some are adept at dangerous or heavy material handling, like aerospace components or caustic chemicals. Others are built to handle highly precise “pick-and-place” tasks on the production line, like microscopic computer chip assembly. There are also fully autonomous robots that use sensors and algorithms to navigate a factory floor, transporting everything from raw materials to finished goods.

More than half a million industrial robots were installed in factories around the world in 2022, according to the International Federation of Robots, which, in its World Robotics 2023 report, predicted that another 600,000 manufacturing robots will be installed in 2024. In fact, automated systems will account for 25% of capital spending for industrial companies through 2027, according to the 2022 McKinsey Global Industrial Robotics survey.

Historically, industrial robots were designed to handle the “three Ds” of manufacturing work — the dull, dirty or dangerous tasks of production, like mind-numbing assembly line work and heavy lifting — and today these are still valuable use cases for robots on the factory floor. However, as robotics technologies have advanced, so have the possibilities for these machines to take on a much broader spectrum of work, beyond performing a single task the same way, over and over. As these advances continue, it’s clear that robots can deliver significant value in terms of greater speed, accuracy, safety and endurance to supplement the manufacturing workforce so that employees can focus on innovation, problem-solving and growth.

Key Takeaways

  • The majority of robots today are deployed in manufacturing facilities.
  • The wide variety of robotic automation options encompasses everything from precise and speedy robotic arms to fully autonomous mobile robots.
  • Robots offer a range of benefits to manufacturers, starting with increased efficiency and workplace safety and continuing to creating smart factories and Industry 4.0 transformations.
  • Nearly every corner of manufacturing —automotive, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, to name a few — is implementing robotic automation.

Robotics in Manufacturing Explained

A robot is any machine capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be controlled by a human wielding an external control device or, as is increasingly common, by a computer programmed to perform tasks. Today, the vast majority of robots in service are installed in manufacturing facilities. To be sure, robotics in manufacturing is big business. Global spending on industrial robotics is expected to grow to $24.4 billion in 2024, up from $16.4 billion in 2020, according to Statista.

Manufacturing robots can perform a wide range of tasks. Some common use cases include material handling; picking, packing and palletizing; parts or goods transfer; assembly; welding; machine loading and minding; dispensing; painting; and processing. Just as important, they can do their work nonstop (except for maintenance), without error or fatigue. Increasingly, certain types of robots work in collaboration with their human counterparts to streamline production. And thanks to advances in machine learning, autonomous manufacturing robots are now a reality.

The benefits that robots can provide are equally broad. Robots help deliver improvements in production efficiency, accuracy, repeatability, safety and more. In addition, the integration of more robotic automation in production means that employees can be reassigned to more complex or enjoyable tasks, thereby improving job satisfaction and career opportunities.

Many manufacturers are investing heavily in robotic automation across their production processes — and some specific industries are working toward fully automated “lights-out” factories. The Philips electric razor plant in the Netherlands, for example, operates with a team of 128 robots and nine human quality assurance employees. Fabco-Air, a producer of pneumatic actuators and control valves, employs some lights-out machining processes for off-the-shelf and customized production; the factory’s primary operators in the machining centers keep an eye on production from a mobile app. And robot manufacturer FANUC has operated a fully robotic production facility in Japan for more than 20 years, thanks to the efforts of a large fleet of the industrial robots it produces.

Full robotic automation may not be the goal for every company. But a multitude of opportunities exists for manufacturers seeking to integrate robots into their production facilities to improve performance.

The History of Robotics in Manufacturing

One of the first industrial robots in history was created in 1937: It was a crane-like machine with a single motor and automated by using hole-punched paper to power solenoids, a type of electromagnet, built to arrange wooden blocks in predetermined patterns. The first patented industrial robot, able to transport items within a radius of 12 feet, emerged in 1954. Then came Unimate, cited by industrial robotics experts as the first application of robotics technology in a production facility; automaker General Motors was the first to purchase the Unimate robotic arm, putting it to work on the task of unloading the finished castings from a die-cast press. From that point on, it was off to the races.

In the 1970s, the Programmable Universal Machine for Assembly (PUMA) robot, capable of greater flexibility and movement, expanded the possibilities for industrial robots to perform more complex tasks, such as assembly and painting. During the 1980s, new robot control systems and programming languages led to the first computer-aided design and manufacturing systems. Accuracy and precision steadily improved, and soon robots were working in areas requiring an extreme degree of accuracy, like semiconductor manufacturing. The introduction of sensor technologies and vision systems broadened the horizons for industrial robots in the 1990s, and the first intelligent robot was developed in 1992.

The 21st century has seen the biggest step changes in robotics capabilities for manufacturing. Industrial robots, which for many years were largely “dumb” mechanized machines cordoned off from the rest of the workforce, began working close to — and sometimes in collaboration with — their human counterparts. In 2008, Linatex, a Danish manufacturer of specialized plastic and rubber components that had a very large order requiring automation, was the first to implement a collaborative robot, aka cobot. (More on those later.) Rather than installing the robot behind safety caging, the cobot went to work alongside employees, automating the feeding of the company’s computer numerical control (CNC) machine.

Today, machine vision, natural-language processing and other AI capabilities are empowering robots to see, hear, navigate and make sense of production environments. Many autonomous robots can handle complex, variable and even one-off tasks. Some modern robots can be programmed by factory workers through easy-to-use touchscreen interfaces. And the innovation continues, with the ongoing development of more advanced robots that can perform a wide range of production processes and the integration of robotic automation into broader transformational initiatives.

Robotics and Industry 4.0

Ever-advancing robotics technologies can generate benefits beyond iterative improvements in production; they can also be integral in transforming the way manufacturing is done and in the supply chain overall.

The past decade has seen considerable investigation into and innovation toward advancing the concept of Industry 4.0 — a term that refers to a fourth industrial revolution. Industry 4.0 efforts focus on the integration of digital technologies, such as AI, advanced analytics and the Internet of Things, to unlock real-time data exchange among production phases. The goal is to enable seamless digital integration, management and control of production. A core facet of Industry 4.0 thinking is the so-called “smart factory” concept, in which all machines, devices, systems and processes on the factory floor remain in constant communication throughout the manufacturing process.

Robots in manufacturing are the key to achieving many Industry 4.0 outcomes, such as increased productivity, lower costs, greater flexibility and improved safety and working conditions. Critically, robotics on the factory floor also plays an essential role in the data collection that drives Industry 4.0 transformation. Manufacturers can harness the data that industrial robots produce to perform predictive maintenance, make more informed decisions, optimize processes and improve overall production performance. But to play this central role, robots in manufacturing must be integrated with other important production systems and processes. Manufacturers that make the necessary investments in robotics and integration anticipate significant returns, based on the data the machines produce and the insights that result.

7 Types of Manufacturing Robots

Manufacturing robots come in different forms, each designed for specific functions or types of applications. Some are created to perform repetitive or fixed tasks, such as assembly, welding or material handling. Other robots are more flexible, built using more advanced technologies so they can adapt as needed.

While many robotic configurations are available, most can be categorized into one of seven types. Understanding the unique features and functionalities of each of these robot options can help manufacturing leaders determine which will best meet their production needs.

  1. Articulated Robots

    Widely used in a variety of manufacturing environments, articulated robots have multiple joints, called axes of rotation, that enable them to move flexibly and contribute to various settings and production applications. The most popular articulated robots have six axes, allowing them to move in all directions. An articulated robot also has a number of rotating joints (from two to 10 or more), each adding to its range of motion. They can be outfitted with all sorts of devices called end-effectors, such as welding torches, spray guns and grippers, to perform specific tasks.

    Prized for precision and dexterity, articulated robots can handle such work as assembly, painting and material handling. Automobile manufacturers, for example, use articulated robots for detail-oriented spot-welding tasks. These robots can handle a variety of payload sizes, from small components to entire vehicles; the right robot model depends on how big, heavy or complex the items involved are. The speed and repeatability of articulated robots also make them a good match for a range of industries, such as electronics, pharmaceuticals and aerospace.

  2. SCARA Robots

    The Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm, or SCARA robot, is built for high-speed material handling and assembly work. Featuring a horizontal arm with two parallel joints that provide vertical and horizontal movement, these robots can efficiently perform such tasks as assembly, packaging and pick-and-place work.

    In addition to the rate at which they can work, SCARA robots are extremely precise, achieving positioning accuracies in the range of 0.01 to 0.1 millimeters. While payload capacity varies, they tend to be designed to handle lighter weight materials and objects than other robots. This makes SCARA robots a good choice for assembling smart parts or printed circuit boards. What’s more, because they are smaller than other robot options, they can be more easily integrated into existing production lines and operate in smaller workspaces, as may be necessary in electronics or consumer goods manufacturing.

  3. Delta Robots

    Delta robots are a type of “parallel robot,” meaning that they have multiple axes at the ends of three arms that move in parallel and have stationary drives and gears. The arms are connected to a triangular base that is attached to a fixed platform. Linear actuators or motors drive the Delta robot’s arms, so that any end-effectors can move within a dome-shaped workspace.

    Delta robots are lightweight and compact, with few moving parts. Like SCARA robots, they tend to be designed to handle lighter weight payloads. The Delta robot’s speed is its key selling point, as many of these robots can perform several hundred pick-and-place movements per minute. Of course, speed without accuracy would be of little value; Delta robots are also quite precise, capable of positioning accuracies in the range of 0.1 to 0.3 millimeters. Thus, this kind of machine is valued for work like pharmaceutical pill sorting and electronics assembly. Due to their design, any errors are averaged out over their three arms. And because Delta robots have a large vertical range of motion, they’re also well designed for situations in which items need to be grabbed from a conveyor belt and placed in a container.

  4. Cartesian Robots

    Cartesian robots are a type of linear robot, able to move along a straight line on a rail system. They have a two- or three-axis configuration, which creates a cubic or rectangular workspace. Their linear motion makes them a good fit for consistent and repeatable tasks. Given their ability to control their axes independently, these robots can operate quite precisely, with positioning accuracies ranging from 0.01 to 0.1 millimeters.

    Some common use cases for Cartesian robots include CNC machining, dispensing, assembly and pick-and-place work. They can also be customized to meet specific requirements, due to their easy assembly and disassembly. However, Cartesian robots tend to have a limited payload capacity because their workloads are supported only by their outer axis.

  5. Collaborative Robots (Cobots)

    Collaborative robots, aka cobots, can safely work alongside humans, thanks to advanced safety features. They often have sensors to detect obstacles and circumvent collisions, as well as force-limited joints to preclude excessive force and low-speed motion to reduce risk of injury to people.

    Cobots can take on some of the drudge work in existing production lines once done by factory workers. They can also perform tasks that demand strength, endurance or precision that their human counterparts cannot match. Some use cases for cobots include assembly, machine tending and pick-and-place tasks.

    Unlike some of the industrial robots described here, cobots can be built in a way that allows human operators to teach them new tasks by guiding their movements. Cobots typically feature user-friendly interfaces and are designed to be easily integrated and configured to meet specific needs without requiring in-depth training or expertise.

  6. Gantries

    A cousin of the Cartesian robot, Gantry robots also have a grid system of three linear axes. However, their workloads are centralized, allowing them to take on larger payloads. Like Cartesian robots, they are best suited for tasks requiring travel distances of less than a meter. Some common applications for Gantry robots include parts transfer, picking, machine loading, palletizing and assembly.

  7. Mobile Robots

    This category of autonomous robot is built to move through production environments, making it a very adaptable automation option. Built-in sensors, navigation and localization systems empower these robots to adjust their paths as they go.

    Mobile robots are a good fit for such tasks as inspecting equipment, material handling, palletizing and transporting everything from raw materials to finished goods though a production facility. They come in a variety of formats. Some, like automated guided vehicles, follow predefined paths, using markers or wires embedded in the floor. Others, like autonomous mobile robots, employ advanced algorithms to help them move independently throughout a manufacturing environment without the need for a predefined path or installed infrastructure to help guide them.

Benefits of Robotics in Manufacturing

Robots have long delivered benefits to manufacturers, including greater efficiency and lower cost of production. However, as modern manufacturing robotics has evolved in recent years from brute-force solutions that perform the same task over and over to adaptable, highly precise and even autonomous solutions, the value that robots can provide to manufacturers has grown.

Some of the most common benefits of robotics to manufacturers include:

  • Increased efficiency and productivity: Increasing business efficiency, production rates and output have consistently been top priorities for manufacturing companies, and robots can help them meet those goals. Robots can take on many repetitive, difficult or labor-intensive tasks and, in many cases, perform them more quickly than humans. At the same time, the use of robotics in production can free up workers to focus on higher value tasks that demand their specific sets of skills, such as problem-solving or critical thinking. What’s more, robots can help assuage the labor shortages facing the manufacturing industry.
  • Enhanced quality and consistency: As machines, robots by nature are able to provide greater quality and consistency in their work. Designed for the job at hand, they can perform precise, repeatable tasks in a way that humans would not be able to and at rates of accuracy that humans would not be able to replicate.
  • Improved worker safety: Manufacturers have long applied robotic automation to complete dangerous or difficult tasks, whether that’s heavy lifting, interacting with high-temperature or sharp production machinery, or handling toxic or caustic materials. One Idaho potato supplier, for example, implemented a customized cobot capable of lifting its two-piece, 52.5-pound boxes of potatoes for palletizing. Handing the riskiest activities over to machines inherently improves the safety of the human workforce. And because robots can also take over mundane or wearying tasks, this too improves the work-life and health of manufacturing workers.
  • Cost savings: While there is certainly an up-front and ongoing investment involved in implementing, integrating and maintaining industrial robots, many manufacturers can easily make a business case for their adoption based on the long-term cost savings this automation can deliver, savings that result from lower labor costs, increased efficiency and productivity, less waste and improved quality and consistency. The U.S. Air Force, for example, estimated that it has saved $220,000 per F-22 jet produced since implementing a robotic painting system. That has accumulated to some $8.8 million in savings as of 2023, thanks to a reduction in labor needed (300 hours per aircraft versus 1,600 without the robotic automation), reduced waste and fewer injuries.
  • Flexibility: Old-school industrial robots typically performed single tasks on product lines, but today’s robots can be much more adaptable to changing production needs. Indeed, some cobots can be programmed and reprogrammed easily by nontechnical operators to take on different processes as necessary. Many robots are also mobile, so they can be deployed in different locations within production facilities. In addition, an increasing number of robotic manufacturing solutions incorporate AI and machine learning to improve their performance, autonomously adapt to surroundings and take on more complex work. This kind of flexibility holds huge value for manufacturers facing growing demand for shorter lead times, increased customization and new products, as well as sudden shifts in supply or demand.
  • Scalability: Likewise, the types of robotic automation available to manufacturers today can empower companies to efficiently scale production up and down as necessary, in ways not possible with human labor alone. Manufacturers look to robots to help them grow by integrating new products, services and customers. When demand for certain products suddenly increases or decreases, robotic automation makes it possible to quickly boost or slow production processes. After all, robots can work 24/7 to increase output with fewer resources — or they can be sidelined or redeployed with minimal impact on the larger organization.
  • Enhanced competitiveness: The enhanced efficiency, quality, speed to market and cost savings that the integration of manufacturing robots offer can strengthen a company’s competitive stance. Delivering products more quickly at lower cost and with improved quality can increase sales and revenues, profitability, customer experience and market share.
  • Innovation and technological advancement: The manufacturing sector has faced tough times in recent decades, as many jobs and facilities moved to less expensive locales with fewer regulations. However, robots — particularly in conjunction with other Industry 4.0 digital technologies — are having a revitalizing effect on the industry, paving the way for rethinking the way production is done. They create opportunities for more flexible, digital processes; elevate the roles of human factory workers; and fuel innovation and technological advancement in the industrial sector.
  • Reduced lead times: Robots don’t take vacations, get sick or grow tired. They are also singularly focused on the task at hand. Due to their continuous operation, then, they naturally speed up the production process, thereby shortening lead times.
  • Attracting skilled workforces: Despite lingering concerns among manufacturing workers about the fallout that increased automation might have on their jobs, robots can have a positive impact on the manufacturing workforce. When robots take over menial, painful, risky or physically demanding tasks, employees can shift their focus to work that is more stimulating or satisfying. As one winery discovered after deploying robots to offload glass bottles, pack them into cases and pack the heavy cases onto pallets, employees went on to perform roles requiring higher level skills and offering more opportunity for career advancement. The introduction of advanced robotics in production facilities can also attract workers who might not have previously been interested in working in an old-school manufacturing environment.
  • Environmental benefits: Manufacturers have a significant environmental footprint, due to their energy usage, waste generation, resource consumption and emission of pollutants. Yet, sustainability is a top priority for companies throughout the sector. Robots can play an important role in helping manufacturers minimize their environmental impact by decreasing the need for unnecessary rework or overproduction, reducing waste, refining production schedules and optimizing consumption of resources and energy. Fully automated lights-out production environments illustrate how manufacturers that invest significantly in robotic automation curtail their environmental impact.

How 10 Key Industries Use Robotics

Due to their broad range of builds and capabilities, robots can be used in a variety of applications across the manufacturing sector. While automotive manufacturers were among the first adopters of robotic automation, many others have joined their ranks over the years. And as robotic automation continues to advance, manufacturing companies of various sizes and types will have increasing opportunities to integrate robots. Looking at how 10 key industries are already using robotics today illuminates the range of opportunities.

  1. Automotive Manufacturing

    The auto industry has been a leader in robotic automation for half a century, boosting productivity, efficiency and product quality. Companies in this sector are also some of the earliest adopters of next-generation robotic solutions. Automotive companies plan to spend more than 30% of their capital spending on automation and robotics over the next five years, according to the 2022 McKinsey survey.

    Auto plants have installed robots equipped with advanced sensor and control systems to handle everything from welding and assembly to painting and inspection with greater speed, accuracy and safety. For example, a robot can complete an entire welding cycle for a vehicle in just 85 seconds. And assigning the paint job to a robot can cut paint waste in half. Robots can also handle heavy parts and full vehicles and perform repetitive but precise tasks, such as installing engines and mounting doors. Robots outfitted with high-resolution cameras and vision guidance are able to inspect components and assemblies, as well.

  2. Electronics Manufacturing

    The unrelenting demand for electronic devices, like cellphones, computers and televisions — and the often detailed work required to produce them — has led to broad adoption of robotic automation in this corner of manufacturing. Cobots(opens in a new tab) that can handle diverse tasks alongside their human partners are particularly attractive in this sector.

    Some of the leading robotics use cases for electronics manufacturers include component placement, soldering, assembly and inspection work. Electronics makers use pick-and-place robots to place tiny resistors, capacitors and integrated circuits rapidly and repeatedly onto printed circuit boards. Such robots can work infinitely faster than any human worker, placing as many as 30,000 components per hour with a high degree of accuracy, increasing precision and throughput in production. Robots are also employed to handle fragile components and perform assembly tasks, such as screwing and applying adhesives, again with a high degree of precision. Electronics manufacturers can also deploy vision-guided robots to inspect circuit boards and components for defects.

  3. Food and Beverage Manufacturing

    Robots play a key role in improving not only efficiency for food and beverage manufacturers, but also product quality and safety, which are essential to their production processes. In fact, food and beverage companies plan to spend nearly a quarter of their capital spending on automation and robotics over the next five years, according to the McKinsey survey.

    Food and beverage manufacturers employ a variety of robotic automation for sorting, cutting and packaging, which improves precision and limits the risk of contamination. They also use more intelligent machines outfitted with sensors, cameras, machine learning algorithms and processing hardware to look for flaws or other issues in production lines and ensure product quality and safety.

  4. Pharmaceuticals

    Within the healthcare sector of pharmaceutical manufacturing, robots provide value on a number of fronts. The most common applications of robotic automation are dispensing, sorting, kit assembly packing and machine tending.

    Some of the more pioneering pharmaceutical companies have embraced greater levels of automation. GSK, for example, has integrated an autonomous mobile forklift robot with built-in laser guidance to transport raw materials along its production lines and bring finished goods to the warehouse. It also uses robots to manage general entry and exit flows from its warehouse.

  5. Metal and Machinery

    Robots are also hard at work in various corners of industrial manufacturing, such as metal and machine production. They perform work that would be much more dangerous, dirty or difficult for humans to do.

    Robotic machines perform high-quality welding that is crucial to the structural integrity of metal components, such as those used by automotive or aerospace customers. A robotic welding system offers a high degree of control over heat input and electrode placement and can achieve high speeds. Robots can also take on metal cutting and machining work that require precision and consistency, such as laser cutting, casting, cold and hot rolling and waterjet cutting. Robots with five- or six-axis motion can perform intricate milling tasks to produce complex metal parts with the right tolerances. South Korean steel manufacturer POSCO deploys robots to cast molten steel into ingots — work that occurs at high temperatures and involves heavy payloads.

  6. Plastics and Chemicals

    Plastics and chemicals manufacturing are other areas in which the deployment of robotic automation makes a lot of sense in terms of both efficiency and safety.

    Due to the inherently hazardous nature of chemical manufacturing, robotic automation can provide significant benefits in terms of worker health and safety, as well as productivity. Robots can carry out an increasing number of tasks, including chemical tank cleaning, waste handling, packaging and inspections.

    Plastic manufacturers similarly implement robotics to handle a variety of processes, such as injection molding (which requires accuracy and repeatability to ensure quality), part extraction, insert loading and assembly. Robots are deployed to handle the blow-molding process, which produces plastic bottles and containers, for example. Trimming robots can perform with a cutting accuracy of ± 0.005 inches to minimize waste and achieve rapid cycle times.

  7. Textiles and Clothing

    The textile industry was one of the first to be mechanized way back in the 18th century. But it has been slower to implement robotic automation outside of some straightforward tasks, such as yarn forming, carding and cotton mixing, due to the unpredictable nature of the materials and the variety of tasks involved. It was long assumed that human dexterity was required. That’s starting to change as textile and clothing manufacturers face increased pressure to keep up with rapidly shifting customer demands.

    Today’s more adaptable robots enable textile and clothing companies to change product lines more quickly. Robots can also be programmed to adeptly print and draw on fabrics and textiles, perform complex sewing tasks and conduct fabric tests. Other robots are also useful in picking, packing, warehousing and sorting. Robotic systems are also an ideal solution for handling large, heavy bales of fabric.

  8. Aerospace Manufacturing

    The aerospace industry must comply with rigorous safety and quality requirements, and robotic automation plays a leading role in establishing reliability, precision and repeatability in production.

    Drilling holes and installing fastening are common robot use cases for aerospace companies, as this work requires specific accuracy to ensure correct alignment and structural integrity. Robotic systems can also apply composite materials, like carbon fiber-reinforced polymers, in a uniform thickness to molds, thereby minimizing waste. In addition, robots handle such tasks as painting and surface finishing efficiently and uniformly.

  9. Consumer Goods

    Labor shortages, ecommerce growth and the demand for more flexible production have led to the vast majority of consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies integrating some robotics on their production lines. In addition, there is increasing interest in and implementation of cobots.

    Robotic automation helps these companies minimize the labor involved in repetitive tasks, improve productivity, increase speed, achieve safe food handling, elevate operator safety, raise accuracy and minimize waste. Case packaging and palletizing are primary applications. Modern robots with a variety of end-effectors and programmability enable CPG manufacturers to deploy them for a variety of tasks.

  10. Heavy Machinery and Equipment

    Companies that make heavy machinery and equipment, such as cranes, bulldozers, excavators, mixers, loaders and farming machines, integrate robotic automation in a number of areas to increase competitiveness, reduce labor costs and handle the literal heavy lifting of production.

    Robots are an ideal solution for handling heavy materials and transporting engines, wheels and parts through warehouses, thereby minimizing the risk of injury to personnel in these facilities. Robotic automation can also be implemented for use in welding, material handling, pick-and-place tasks and other repetitive activities, since manufacturing and assembling industrial equipment is a difficult job.

Learn How ERP Can Streamline Your Business

Robotic automation solutions in manufacturing will continue to advance and help manufacturers reimagine their production processes. Connecting these machines and the data they produce with enterprise software and data will open up even more opportunities for improvement.

NetSuite for Manufacturing helps manufacturers across sectors and of all sizes visualize, coordinate, manage and control all aspects of their production processes. The cloud-based ERP’s ability to plan production and manage manufacturing processes within a unified platform and with tailor-made capabilities, such as real-time shop floor control and product quality management, puts manufacturers in an ideal position to extract the greatest value from robotic automation in their facilities. This includes improving efficiency, maintaining competitiveness, increasing speed and growing their business. The solution also helps companies automatically balance supply and demand, provide real-time inventory visibility and improve the procurement process.

Recent years have yielded tremendous advancement in robotic capabilities for the manufacturing environment, thanks to the rapid growth of AI and machine learning capabilities. Today’s robots are capable of handling much more than simply the dangerous, dirty or dull work of production. They can learn and adapt to new tasks, be programmed by nontechnical factory personnel and be deployed for a wide variety of use cases. The broad benefits that robotic automation can generate, from lower costs and increased productivity to elevated employee experiences and improved safety, guarantee that manufacturing robot adoption will continue apace. Thus, it’s essential for manufacturers to understand the types of robotic automation available for various use cases in order to invest in the right solutions to remain competitive.

Robotics in Manufacturing FAQs

How are robotics used in the manufacturing industry?

Manufacturing companies use robots to perform a wide range of tasks, such as material handling, palletizing, goods transfer and transportation heavy or dangerous materials, assembly, welding, dispensing and painting. Thanks to advancements in technologies, robots can perform a wide range of processes, some with the ability to be retooled or reprogrammed to switch tasks.

What is an advantage of robotics in manufacturing?

The benefits of robotics and automation in manufacturing are numerous. Manufacturers that install robotics and automation solutions into their production lines can improve productivity, accuracy, repeatability and quality. The introduction of robotic automation can also boost workplace and product safety. What’s more, robots represent an essential piece of the puzzle as more manufacturers pursue Industry 4.0 transformations to integrate digital technologies and enable real-time data exchange throughout production processes.

What is the future of robotics in manufacturing?

While industrial robots traditionally worked separately from human counterparts, collaboration robots—or cobots—are working side by side with the manufacturing workforce. While previous robots were built to accomplish a single task, modern robots can be programmed and outfitted to take on a variety of work to enable more flexible production systems and collect production data.

What is the main value of robotics in manufacturing?

Robots in manufacturing offer companies a broad range of valuable benefits. These include not only increased efficiency, productivity, consistency and quality, but also greater flexibility and scalability, reduced lead times, less waste, greater sustainability and increased competitiveness. As robots take on more production tasks, they also free up the human workforce to perform higher value or more rewarding work.

Who is the largest robot manufacturer?

The largest robot manufacturers are Japan’s FANUC and the U.S-based company Symbotic. They are both far larger, in terms of market capitalization, than their nearest competitors. FANUC had a market cap of $27.35 billion in 2023, and Symbotic had a market cap of $23.3 billion. Both companies make a variety of robots for use in manufacturing environments, which is the industry with the largest number of installed robots today.

How do you manufacture a robot?

The first step in manufacturing a robot is the design phase based on the job the robot will perform, its operating environment, human involvement required, and other business needs. The next step is to fabricate the robot parts, assemble it with any parts purchased from suppliers, and tested for performance before finally being installed as the customer facility.

What are the four 4 types of robotics?

Four of the most common types of robots are articulated robots, Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm (SCARA) robots, Delta robots and Cartesian robots.