Page 45 - Packaging News magazine March_April 2023

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HALL 13 BOOTH A33
4THE LONG-TERM INCREASE
IN INDUSTRIAL ROBOT INSTALLATIONS WILL CONTINUE DESPITE GLOBAL UNCERTAINTIES The recent IFR World Robotics Report showed that industrial robot installa- tion reached an all-time high in 2021, increasing by 31 per cent over the pre- vious year. Overall, worldwide annual robot installations between 2015 and 2021 have more than doubled. Although growth in 2022 seems to be slower across the sector, this is largely due to global uncertainties triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic and the scarcity of electronic components.
We expect the upward trend of cobot automation to resume in 2023. Why? Because businesses across the world are facing labour and skills shortages and, despite the day-to-day challenges facing industry right now, we are in the midst of a transition towards Industry 5.0. Here, working alongside robots will create more human-centric, sustain- able, and resilient businesses.
5CUSTOMERS WILL BE
FOUND AT THE HEART OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Although we talk extensively about robot collaboration in the workplace, human collaboration is what drives innovation.
Customers understand their own needs better than anyone else and, as the automation market has matured, they are better placed than ever before to offer valuable input on their require- ments. This means robotics companies will involve end-customers much more in product development. It is why Universal Robots has reorganised its product creation teams and is focusing heavily on understanding the challenges customers are facing, before designing solutions. Co-development projects, where robotics companies and custom- ers work together in developing specific solutions, are also bound to increase in 2023 and beyond. Ultimately these allow customers to directly influence the product they are buying, while at the same time delivering valuable feedback for the robotic companies – meaning they will be able to launch a product to the benefit of the whole market.
THE FUTURE OF COBOTS
Businesses need to innovate and remain adaptable to survive and expand. As we head into 2023, they will rely ever more on technology to break new ground, with turnkey solutions at the heart of it. It is an exciting time for automation. ■
There is no limit to the imaginative ways companies will bring robots alongside humans...
Above: Anders Beck, VP Strategy and Innovation, at Universal Robots: ‘An exciting time for automation’.
ROBOTIC & AUTOMATION
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