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The evolving business climate in 2022 as a result of the continuation of the pandemic, as well as related issues such as supply chain, labor challenges, and inflation, is forcing many companies and manufacturing executives to implement automation technologies and robotics for your production, distribution and fulfillment facilities.

Ongoing economic challenges, coupled with continued pressure from business investors for a strong focus on the bottom line, have added pressure on companies that need to become even more efficient with their factory operations and product development teams.

Sure, many manufacturing facilities continue to rely heavily on human labor, but an increasing number of locations are now implementing Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR/VR)-powered robotics and automation technologies to accelerate efficiency. , reduce costs and minimize human touch points. to ease the pain of staffing challenges.

Increased investments in automation

Demand for robots in the US workplace increased a record 40% during the first quarter compared to the same period in 2021, according to the Association for the Advancement of Automation, which tracks trends in the industry. robotics industry.

Automation-driven robotics has been widely used in the automotive industry, such as assembly line production. But now, other industries such as aerospace, retail and food production, construction equipment, and pharmaceuticals are seeing gains in the use of these machines in the plant.

The business benefits of increased productivity and reduced costs are obviously a big help to the bottom line. However, other main drivers show that these technologies are helping to improve the new social distancing policies enacted during the early days of the pandemic.

Increased flexibility in manufacturing facilities

The COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated the need for greater operational flexibility where advanced technology and automation may be applicable. Additionally, the ability to scale up or down quickly to meet project deadlines, without impacting shifts per hour, has further helped with manufacturing efficiencies.

Technologies like AR/VR-powered robotics and automation have also risen sharply in plants, especially as the need to adhere to a tighter supply chain and logistical demands have been paramount this summer.

do more with less

As we move into 2022, ongoing global supply chain disruptions are becoming more normal and manufacturers continue to address cascading events in different ways. For example, it is clearly important to improve supply chain visibility and increase customer satisfaction. 59% said that improving supply chain visibility was their top business priority in 2022, while 45% chose to improve customer satisfaction. Better automation-driven technologies are paving the way for these improvements.

Cloud-based automation technologies are essential

AR/VR is needed today in automation and robotics technologies, but there are important areas to understand when leveraging such technology for manufacturing applications. The technology allows designers and manufacturers the ability to perform real-time 3D visualizations and CAD for design and manufacturing; faster training cycles; and professionals can work at drastically higher levels. In fact, some manufacturers report minimized errors using AR/VR through instruction overlay, remote assistance, and better planning and visualization. This has resulted in a more than 40% increase in productivity in some cases. AR/VR technologies provide significant time savings for the manufacturing build process through an optimized decision process, which positively impacts the entire OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) Cycle.

One caveat that facility managers should keep in mind is that not all automation technologies are created equal. It’s important to pay close attention to technology infrastructure and choose a platform that is cloud-enabled so that projects can truly scale when needed. Manufacturers are overcoming their growth constraints by leveraging cloud-based (or remote server-based) AR/VR platforms powered by distributed cloud architecture and 3D vision-based artificial intelligence. These cloud platforms provide the desired performance and scalability to drive industry innovation at speed and scale.

Using AR/VR-powered robotics and automation technologies requires the right speed and data to achieve precision. Although technologies like AR/VR have been in use for several years, many manufacturers have implemented virtual solutions that are based on a local environment, where all technology data is stored locally.

On-premises AR/VR infrastructures limit the speed and scalability required for today’s virtual designs, and limit the ability to share knowledge across organizations that can be critical when designing new products and understanding how best to virtual build.

Manufacturers today are overcoming these limitations by leveraging cloud-based (or remote server-based) AR/VR platforms powered by distributed cloud architecture and 3D vision-based AI. These cloud platforms provide the desired performance and scalability to drive industry innovation at speed and scale.