July 20209MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY INSIGHTSanalyzing robotic data, it is now possible to monitor and predict potential robot failures before they happen, as well as streamline maintenance schedules. With that, already low downtimes for robot automation can be further decreased as the intervals between maintenance increase. This supports the human workforce by reducing stressful ad hoc service requests and optimizing both work and travel.It is worth mentioning that humans play a significant role in the adoption of this smart robotic automation. Not only do they develop software and algorithms, but they also use their knowledge, lifelong experience, and intuition to cross-check data and patterns to find the information needed to bring this innovation to the next level. What besides predictive maintenance can best help someone on the production floor? Only a real person can answer that. It can be easy access to documentation, service information and support for all robots that a company has in production across the globe and independent from that location, or asset management. No software can answer that question. Humans not only increase the intelligence of this powerful technology, but they also make it possible in the first place.Smart robotic automation can also work the other way around and help us understand humans better. Imagine a company with a consistent robotic process configuration set up in their plants globally. Comparing the robot and application performance data might reveal differences. And suddenly, it's much more about the specific people than technology, and the slightly different processes the local technicians implemented within an operation. Understanding different people, cultures, and their way of thinking and doing allows us to improve processes on a global scale. A one-sided approach, that only tries to understand the technology without considering the human factor will not bring the best solution. What looks good on paper, very abstract and technology concentrated, might not work as soon as it hits the production floor. And what might work in one country might not bring the same success to another.Incredible new technology is being developed every day, opening up a lot of exciting opportunities for automation. But it's important to remember that we still have a long way to go until we discover what works best in the end. Keep an open mind, and don't get too euphoric or too skeptical. Success depends on finding a healthy balance between the technology and humans that fit the needs of your specific application, plant, business, and circumstances. Sometimes, starting with small steps and looking for evolution rather than revolution might sound boring ­ but it might be more successful in the long run.
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