ROBOTICS: WHAT EVERY MANAGER SHOULD KNOW.

All manufacturing managers and executives should understand the basics of robotics before implementation takes place. When examining actual or proposed equipment in the plant, three aspects are addressed: its programmablity; ability to operate unattended; the variety of tasks it can handle. Robots can be justified through four approaches: manufacturing necessity; economic payback; intangible benefits and future benefits. The group investigating robot applications should consider: the effect on workers displaced by robots; whether an adequate knowledge base exists to select, design, install a robotic solution to a manufacturing problem; whether to choose a small pilot project for testing; who the working members of the robotic team will be; who would review the final recommendations.