Work performed by robots is always of uniform quality – which is why automation answers the needs of industry

If you ask a robot to count to twenty every day, it will count to twenty. If you ask a person to count to twenty, his phone will probably start ringing at around ten and he will lose count. A person may also use his creativity and begin questioning why he should count exactly to twenty. A robot will count precisely to twenty for as long as it is told to do so. 

People are human and creative. People come up with new thoughts, ideas and innovations, but they also make mistakes. Robots are not creative, or human. They do exactly as they are programmed to do, without error and in the exact same way from one day to the next.

Automation improves the quality of manufacturing significantly, as a robot always does the same quality of work. Machines are also more accurate than the human eye. Should any deviation occur, it can be easily detected, as a machine will always make the same mistake consistently in the same place. 

Robots notice things that the human eye cannot

We at Algol Technics can provide lots of examples of how automation has helped improve the quality of products, which can be measured by means of sensor technologies and both 2D and 3D machine vision solutions.

For one of our clients, automation improved the quality of their welding processes, as the robot was able to detect thermal expansion down to a hundredth of a millimetre. At another client of ours, a robot was employed in the lighting assembly process to screw together two pieces. Previously, this work was done manually, as a result of which the screws were either too tight or too loose. When a robot does the job, it always tightens the screws the same way and indicates immediately if for some reason this is not possible.

Automation has also improved surface treatment processes. When surface treatment is done manually, it is possible that either too much paint is applied to a component or that part of the component is left unpainted due to a bad working position. When a robot applies paint, none goes to waste and the surface is evenly coated.

Robots always produce the same quality

So can automation be trusted? In my opinion, yes, more than human work. By this I do not mean that human creativity is somehow second rate – the work of humans is unique. People are ready to pay millions for works of art, for example, as each example is a unique and different product of the imagination.

For industrial products, however, consistency is demanded. Robots always produce the same quality, and sensors that measure quality never blink an eye. Machine vision also makes it easier to detect unforeseen quality deviations. 

Automation can have a big impact on a company’s brand

When automation is introduced to improve the quality of products, it can have a big impact on a company’s business and brand. The resulting reduction in customer claims is mirrored by an increase in reputation. These days, automation can also be a basic requirement for suppliers; automation is not affected by sick leave or the speed of manual labour, as robots do everything at the same speed and stay on schedule.

On top of everything else, automated production is also less expensive than manual manufacturing. Automation enables products to be manufactured entirely within a company’s own factory, under its own supervision, without the need for foreign subcontractors.
Of course, automation can make production boring, since nothing changes and everything has the same quality, but at the same time human employees can redirect their artistic energies and use all their creativity for tasks where creativity – and the human touch – is really needed.

The author is Head of Sales at Algol Technics and has 20 years of experience in industrial robotics in Finland and abroad. He is also an active mountain biker.

Teemu Rantala
Head of Sales
Algol Technics Oy
teemu.rantala@algol.fi