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INTELLIGENT VERTICAL: MANUFACTURING
WHY HUMAN
INTERACTION IS STILL
NEEDED DESPITE
AUTOMATION
Jim Hilton, Director Global Manufacturing at Zebra
Technologies, says the manufacturing sector can be
changed for the better through the use of AI.
O
ver the past few years the talk
of how automation can change
industrial operations has become
more prevalent. Indeed, the headline-
seekers out there might ask: will robots end
up taking our jobs and what will happen to
the human workforce? Hyperbole aside, the
rise of the robots in the form of Artificial
Intelligence (AI) is certainly improving
sectors such as manufacturing and
transport and logistics (T&L). For example,
robots can perform mundane, repetitive
tasks without loss of concentration or risk
of error. They might also be able to access
hard to reach spaces and assess stock count
with greater accuracy.
Couple this with the fact McKinsey predicts
800 million jobs could be lost by 2030,
and you will understand why workers are
feeling threatened by the future. This
is just a hypothesis. In fact, across both
manufacturing and transpor t and logistics
T&L sectors, it’s obvious that automation will
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increase productivity and the human touch
will always be needed.
The human touch in manufacturing
With the advent of Manufacturing 4.0,
comprising data capture and exchange
by using technologies such as Industrial
Internet of Things (IIoT), cloud computing
and cognitive computing, the automated
industry is changing for the better.
This new approach will enable executives to
have complete visibility of operations and
the ability to capture every process in the
form of data. This information, ultimately
analysed by humans, not machines, will
make production more efficient and in turn
drive cost savings.
The use of IIoT can also monitor the stock
of raw materials in real time. This will enable
staff to oversee and order new stock, leading
to continuous productivity and avoiding a
“
HUMAN
INTERACTION IS
ESSENTIAL TO
RESPOND AND
MAKE DECISIONS
ON HOW DATA
IS BEST USED
FOR MAXIMUM
EFFICIENCY.
break in the chain when, say, a paint or car
part is running low.
The automotive industry is a key sector
in manufacturing to take advantage of
automation to drive production. Working
with Zebra Technologies’ solutions, Troy
Design & Manufacturing (TDM), a Detroit-
based metal stamping subsidiary of Ford
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