The world of car manufacturing has experienced significant changes over the years. Robotics and automation are slowly fine-tuning industries to the point where they can streamline operations, increasing production efficiency, and this is naturally, going to improve bottom lines all across the industry.
When it comes to car manufacturing, there are a number of exciting components that are just around the corner. Because of a rise in demand for electric cars, hyper-personalization, and autonomous driving, it’s natural that the manufacturing industry takes heed and implements a number of automation and robotics practices.
Let’s show you some that will make a massive difference in the future.
HRC and Prototyping
Prototyping is the most critical stage of the production process, and a digital simulation can help to form an early prototype. HRC (human-robot collaboration/cooperation) will make a massive difference in the next phase of the industry as it will combine the work of humans and robots.
The great thing about human and robot collaboration is that human power will always win. It’s a common misconception that the robotics aspect of the industry is going to render human help redundant.
The fact is that HRC ensures that human error is greatly minimized because of the ability to fine-tune each minuscule part of the process.
In a vehicle like a Ford Mustang, Ford F150 Ecoboost performance parts are such tiny components that will make a massive difference which, for something so minuscule, is critical during the design and prototyping phase.
It will allow the addition of materials and vehicle parts to increase precision for the vehicle and the manufacturer.
Artificial Intelligence
The automation market size is forecast to grow exponentially to double its size, approximately $27 billion by 2025.
AI is critical, as we have seen throughout many other aspects of the digital industry, and in the automotive industry, we will see how AI plays out in a number of different tasks, for example, the design and production phase, and even in service jobs such as predictive maintenance.
Because AI is being used to power driver assistance technology in autonomous vehicles, AI is making significant impacts across the industry. This also includes automated order fulfillment, which is done by supporting tasks that require little to no human input or programming.
It can also be used in data gathering and customer service, but intelligent automation on a factory level is going to grow exponentially through car assembly, collaborative applications, and so much more.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
RPA in a factory setting can position automation for significant future growth. RPA involves software automating a number of rule-based tasks that typically relate to business processes, and can cut down on a variety of time-consuming and laborious tasks. This can be used in the speeding up of freight management or inventory, and even in order processing.
In the car manufacturing industry, there are a wide number of components that can benefit from being streamlined, especially when we’re talking about how humans are not able to keep track of every single component.
Human error is commonplace, and we cannot remove this completely, but it is critical that we minimize this where we can. RPA is an essential addition to any manufacturing environment as it will boost future growth, while also making the more intense aspects of the role less difficult for humans.
When you go back 20 years, one minuscule task that needed to be completed hundreds of times over during the course of the day naturally increased the likelihood of human error.
Within the manufacturing environment, one little mistake was costly, not just to that area of the factory floor, but potentially to the entire factory line. Robotic Process Automation will greatly impact almost every area.
Agile Manufacturing
Agile manufacturing is a critical component that provides solutions and a new outlook. Because of the change in customer demands, agile production can emphasize change across the entire supply chain. It also allows newer companies to enter the market.
Car manufacturing is a notoriously difficult arena to break into and requires a long gestation period for any newer company.
New automotive startups can open brand-new production facilities that can implement agile car manufacturing at their heart.
With a variety of different agile car manufacturing hubs opening that aim to spearhead an independent approach to manufacturing, this is shaking up the old guard, ensuring they utilize the critical aspects of bringing agile manufacturing into the present and the future.
Agile manufacturing has a number of benefits, including decreased dependence on traditional manufacturing lines, allowing a variety of flexibility in assembly stations, and can be highly personalized without impacting the entire factory line.
However, while agile manufacturing is still a pipe dream for many, it is considered the goal of many organizations to decrease the dependence on the integrated approach to factory lines, which will bring about significant change, but it will take some time before it is completely implemented into the current environment.
An Advancement in Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs)
AGVs are already being used to transport materials like heavy objects around large production areas. They use 3D map technology to navigate and benefit manufacturing environments by utilizing precise control.
As vehicle makers are looking to upgrade their products, this will also mean an increase in AGVs to meet the demands of the factory line. The global markets for AGV themselves are set to grow by 10.8 percent by the year 2026 and will undoubtedly have an impact on a variety of industries beyond car manufacturing.
Automation and robotics are two sides of the same coin, and in the world of car manufacturing, it’s clear to see that there’s going to be a major shake-up in how robotics infiltrate every aspect of our lives.
Robotics is being used to park cars and it is clear that car manufacturing as a whole will see some, if not all, of these components integrated to ensure that car manufacturing, as an industry and as a way to retain competitiveness, will increase substantially in the future.
Main image by Torsten Dettlaff via Pexels
