Robotics has transformed manufacturing profoundly—but pretty gradually—over the last generation. But more experts argue that manufacturing CEOs now must participate in a true “robotics revolution” that will comprise the next great leap in manufacturing. For all of the improvements introduced by robotic devices and systems at manufacturers from metal shops to electronics factories over the last 40 years, a huge number of tasks are still performed by human hands that clearly could be handled more dependably by machines. But costs of manual labor versus a new robotics system, and the persistent complexity of many of them, have held back many manufacturers. Until now, perhaps. “Industrial robots are on the verge of revolutionizing manufacturing,” PwC recently reported. “As they become smarter, faster and cheaper, they’re being called upon to do more. They’re taking on more ‘human’ capabilities and traits such as sensing, dexterity, memory and trainability. As a result, they’re taking on more jobs—such as picking and packaging, testing or inspecting products, or assembling minute electronics. “Also, a new generation of ‘collaborative’ robots ushers in an era of shepherding robots out of their cages and literally hand-in-hand with human workers who train them through physical demonstration.” In fact, adds Boston Consulting Group, “Many industries are reaching an inflection point at which, for the first time, an attractive return on investment is possible for replacing manual labor with machines on a wide scale.” Because of these trends, the firm said, by 2025, the share of tasks performed by robots will rise from a global average of around 10% to about 25% across all manufacturing industries, in turn boosting manufacturing productivity by up to 30%. That will cut labor costs by 33% in South Korea and by 18% to 25% in the U.S., China, Germany and Japan. Manufacturing CEOs will perform with […]