DAC February 2022

28 n ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATED MANUFACTURING February 2022 www.drivesncontrols.com I n the UK, we have one of the lowest uptakes of automation in the world. We currently sit at 24th position in the International Federation of Robotics’ league table that measures the of number of robots per 10,000 employees. The global average is 126 robots per 10,000 employees – the UK has 101. For a country that prides itself on being at the forefront of technology, it is clearly not an ideal position to be in. Many of us use the 3 Ds – dull, dirty and/or dangerous – as the starting point for conversations about implementing automation, however there are other factors to consider. I frequently hear that companies are struggling to find and retain production staff in our current market conditions. This will obviously impede their output; however, it could be the starting point for a new and more productive future. Automation, when designed and installed to a high standard, can improve output, cut waste and improve the efficiencies of most companies. It will also create better quality jobs for operators, reduce the need for manual handling and generally improve the manufacturing environment. There is far more to automation than robots. It is a common misconception is that industrial robots are the beating heart of any automated installation. Please do not misunderstand me: they are very important, however there is far more to automation than “just” the robot. Every piece of the puzzle – be it controls, conveyors, safety guards, vision systems, sensors, AGVs/AMRs or bowl feeders – fits together to form a complete system. Yes, some pieces may be bigger than others, but all are equally important. Every component needs to be integrated together to form an orchestra that enables everything to work together efficiently and provide years of faultless service. That brings me to a factor that is often overlooked – the knowledge and experience of the system integrator chosen for a project. There is a huge difference between someone who can program a robot and a robot programmer. The same thing can be said for system integrators. It can be a minefield trying to find the company to work with. This is exactly why we, at Bara, have partnered with our “sister” organisation in the US, the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), to create the A3 / Bara Robot Integrators’ Certification Scheme. This is a benchmark that can be used to evaluate UK robot integrators’ technical knowledge and safety practices. The scheme was born out of the need to standardise integrators’ quality and workmanship, as well as to recognise effective safety controls to help companies comply with the relevant regulations. Again, please do not think that I am implying that all integrators are bad – quite the opposite, in fact. For Bara, it is about setting the standard that every integrator should follow which, in turn, will give end- users the confidence that all required legislation is being complied with, and that installations are being implemented to a high standard. If you would like to start your automation journey, but don’t know where to start – I would highly recommend visiting the Bara Web site where we have outlined several topics in the Expert Advice section to give some initial information. While you’re there, you can register for one or more of our series of roundtable expert panel discussions. n https://www.ppma.co.uk/bara.html George Thompson is Bara’s first new chairman for 12 years. He has been involved in the automation industry for nearly 20 years and has worked for leading robot manufacturers in both service and sales roles. He is currently robotic systems sales manager for Güdel Lineartec (UK), where he is responsible for the systems side of the business. George Thompson, the new chairman of the British Automation and Robotics Association (Bara), examines some of the issues affecting automation in the UK. Advice on starting your automation journey