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A survey of 250 UK manufacturing companies conducted by ABB Robotics found a change in attitudes towards automation in the country, with 81.2 per cent of companies saying they are considering an investment in robots because of recent events.
It comes amid a background of reduced production capacity – firstly due to lockdowns and social distancing measures, and subsequently by labour shortages due to Brexit. When asked whether the pandemic has been ‘game-changing’ for their business, 90.8 per cent of the respondents said yes.
Part of the problem was a lack of contingency planning. Research by the CIPD’s
People Management magazine found that two in five organisations had no plans in place to manage the outbreak, and now they’re scrambling to adjust to the new normal.
Robots are seen as a potential solution – 48.8 per cent of respondents said they were likely to invest in automation in the next five years, and 50.4 per cent said robots would help them comply with social distancing requirements. Health and safety rules and staff shortages were other considerations driving the increased interest in automation.
“The huge impact that COVID-19 has had on the economy will be felt long after the virus has gone and will permanently influence the way businesses conduct themselves moving forward,” says Nigel Platt of ABB Robotics. “The inherent flexibility and high performance of today’s robots, coupled with the expanding range of options on offer, from small cobots through to heavy duty industrial robots, enables manufacturers to better prepare themselves against future uncertainties caused by impending pandemics or economic instabilities.”
Those already using automation cited flexibility and consistency as key benefits. “While the UK has lagged behind other countries when it comes to embracing robotic automation in manufacturing applications, those companies that have made the switch to robots have reported a range of benefits that underline their ability to transform productivity, efficiency and competitiveness,” says Julian Ware, a sales manager at ABB. “The results of our survey provide hope that these benefits will be realised by a growing number of companies in the next few years as robotic automation becomes recognised for its ability to provide a greater degree of certainty in challenging times.”
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