Manufacturers in the united states account for about 11.5 percent of the country’s total output and employ an estimated 10 percent of the workforce, according to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). This leaves a large opportunity for improvement on those statistics over the next decade and beyond.
Those familiar with the 1967 movie “The Graduate” likely recall the famous line “I just want to say one word to you: plastics.” If that film were made today, the one word would probably be: robotics. For many good reasons.
Efficient, flexible, cost effective, highly productive, accurate, and risk controlled are a few of the proven attributes of automation. And while the use of robotics in manufacturing is not exactly new, such equipment in past decades was primarily reserved for large companies such as General Motors, Ford, and Boeing. New technologies provide easier integration with existing CNC equipment, increasing the versatility and lowering the cost of robotics, making the technology a game changer for basic manufacturing in this country.
A key driver of change will be the use of sophisticated, “smart automation,” enabled by robotics. Tool manufacturers are working hard to lower the costs and complexity of robotics, making it affordable and practical to many more shops. With costs falling and systemic integration becoming easier, robotic automation will be a win-win for many manufacturers and their customers. Robotics increases production, and it is highly cost-efficient and introduces next-level efficiencies in production, quality, and cost.
Robotic automation can yield upwards of a 20 to 50 percent reduction in cost. This savings is driven by greater production per labor hour, less rework, and lights-out manufacturing. We will be much more competitive with overseas manufacturing with the improved cost position and maintaining our quality advantage.
But, having a skilled workforce to perform these processes as we approach the next decade is vital to the growth of manufacturing in the United States. The challenge to find people to fill manufacturing jobs was tough enough prior to the pandemic; during the many months when stringent restrictions were in place, that challenge became nearly insurmountable for some manufacturers—particularly smaller ones. Couple this with an aging (and retiring) skilled-labor workforce and you have the perfect equation for change.
‘New Collar’
Emerging technologies such as robotics are attracting a younger manufacturing workforce, sometimes referred to as “new collar.” The skills required to manage, program, and operate these technologies are advanced and require updated training. Jobs in these new technologies are attractive to both the vocationally trained and college-educated.
Currently, China leads the world in manufacturing output, followed by the U.S. Investing in automation is a critical element if we are to manufacture parts and products that are more cost-competitive with overseas sources. Advances for basic manufacturing such as robotics and automation will help create a cost parity for the U.S. while maintaining the quality advantage that is vital to our nation’s economy and security.
In the absence of a crystal ball, it’s difficult to indisputably determine the future of basic manufacturing nationally over the next decade. But what’s clear is advanced technology that attracts a young workforce, coupled with the growing usage of automation, equates to the potential for far-reaching changes in both the short and long term for an industry that is critical to our country’s wealth and well-being.
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