Balancing automation and human labor in industrial operations. Are you maximizing efficiency effectively?

Automation offers significant benefits in industries. Enhances productivity by performing repetitive tasks quickly and accurately, reduces human error, and improves safety by handling dangerous processes. Essential for optimal efficiency. Additionally, human workers focus on complex problem-solving and innovation with their presence of resources and technologies. Regular evaluation and employee training are key to maintaining this balance, ensuring both technology and human skills are leveraged effectively.while, automation allows for consistent quality and operational scalability. These benefits majorly lead to COST SAVINGS, HIGHER OUTPUTs, and the ability to allocate human resources to more strategic and CREATIVITY ROLES.

The delicate dance between automation and human labor is a critical factor in determining the efficiency and overall success of industrial operations. While automation offers significant advantages in terms of speed, precision, and consistency, human ingenuity, adaptability, and problem-solving skills remain irreplaceable. By carefully considering these factors and implementing effective strategies, organizations can harness the power of automation while preserving the invaluable contributions of their human workforce.

L'automatisation permet aux opérateurs de se libérer des tâches répétitives pour se concentrer sur des aspects plus créatifs et décisionnels, ce qui augmente leur satisfaction et permet à l'entreprise d'accroître sa rentabilité. En optimisant les processus et en réduisant les erreurs, elle améliore également la qualité et l'efficacité globale.

The implementation of digital technologies in production systems could bring numerous benefits, including increased flexibility and production capacity, allowing companies to adapt quickly to market changes and meet higher demand. Quality is significantly enhanced, and product traceability is improved, ensuring that products can be tracked throughout the supply chain. These technologies could also enable improved personalization, to better meet customer needs. Additionally, digital technologies help reduce costs and errors, minimize stock levels, and eliminate non-value-added tasks. Furthermore, they facilitate improved integration with other stakeholders, fostering better collaboration and efficiency across the supply chain.

In many complex industrial production systems, such as those linked to the circular economy, where there is significant process and product variability, the human factor cannot be replaced. Humans have the capacity to use their senses (sight, touch, hearing, etc.) and to be creative in finding the best solutions to maximize product quality and productivity that automation cannot match, at least in the short to medium term. In these cases, technology should serve the operators, allowing them to automate the most repetitive and physically demanding tasks, or to assist them in making complex decisions.

Alors que l’automatisation excelle dans les tâches répétitives, le travail humain apporte des connaissances et des capacités de prise de décision irremplaçables. Les travailleurs peuvent réagir aux changements imprévus de la production, appliquer une pensée critique dans le contrôle de la qualité et fournir l’ingéniosité nécessaire à l’amélioration des processus. Le défi consiste à tirer parti de ces compétences humaines d’une manière qui complète les processus automatisés, en créant un flux de travail dynamique capable de s’adapter et d’innover à mesure que les demandes évoluent.

Justement, je suis tout a fait d’accord les compétences humaines sont indispensables pour la supervision et l’amélioration de ces systèmes.

A automação é eficaz para tarefas repetitivas, enquanto os trabalhadores humanos trazem insights, pensamento crítico e capacidade de resposta a mudanças imprevistas. Integrar essas habilidades humanas com processos automatizados é essencial para criar um fluxo de trabalho dinâmico e inovador. Isso exige requalificação da força de trabalho, permitindo que as empresas se adaptem rapidamente às mudanças do mercado e mantenham a competitividade.

Vemos evolução e aumento da exigência dos profissionais dos setores em constante desenvolvimento. A grande preocupação é não nos tornarmos acéfalos com as tecnologias "pensantes" (como IA). A educação está muitos passos atrás no que diz respeito ao que vimos atualmente no mercado. Basta analisar as grades de matérias...demoram demais para serem mudadas ou evoluidas. E dificulta a entrada de mercado ou o crescimento da empresa que contrata mão de obra raramente preparada. E ai temos o "on the job training" ou inúmeros cursos que explanam o básico. O intermediário e avançado - apenas nas empresas com aplicações customizadas de acordo com o produto e serviço. E claro do setor de atuação.

Além do treinamento dos funcionários, outros requisitos importantes para a automação industrial incluem planejamento detalhado, manutenção regular, monitoramento de dados, segurança cibernética, integração de sistemas, gestão de mudanças, flexibilidade, procedimentos de backup, colaboração entre departamentos e envolvimento dos stakeholders. Esses fatores garantem que os processos fluam de forma consistente e sem imprevistos.

Full automation is not always possible, so technology is often implemented to support operators in their tasks and improve productivity. In such cases, various risks need to be considered. It is essential to thoroughly train operators beforehand to ensure they use the technologies correctly. Additionally, training must include change management to help them understand the project's usefulness and the benefits and drawbacks of the technologies. Explanations should not rely solely on technological promises but must present a realistic view of the project, acknowledging potential complications during technology implementation tests, especially with start-ups.

C’est l’être humain qui conçoit les machines, quelle que soit leur complexité. Cela reste un système automatisé et programmé avec un guide d’utilisation clair et précis. Avant d’investir dans la formation du personnel, il est important qu’ils aient une base d’apprentissage solide, une logique et un bon sens qui leur permettent de s’adapter à tout éventuel problème.

Totalmente de acuerdo.Es necesaria una formación adecuada tanto en el proceso de automatización, como en la optimización de los recursos para que la automatización libere de cargas repetitivas a la mano de obra directa. Y por supuesto en el equilibrado de dicha automatización, siempre es necesario que se cuente con las personas a través de llevar su experiencia a la máquina. Por ello, este es el punto fundamental, las personas, que bajo mi punto de vista debería estar contemplado en todos los planes de formación y en las estrategias de los departamentos de personal.

Quando a integração da tecnologia, a comunicação eficaz entre software e hardware, e a gestão de operações são combinadas, elas criam um ambiente de automação industrial altamente eficiente e resiliente. A integração da tecnologia assegura que todas as partes do sistema funcionem sem falhas. A comunicação eficaz entre software e hardware garante que os sistemas respondam rapidamente às mudanças e comandos, enquanto uma gestão de operações eficaz coordena todas essas atividades, assegurando que a produção seja otimizada e que a empresa possa responder rapidamente a novas oportunidades e desafios.

Optimizing workflow is about integrating both automation and human labor to enhance productivity. Start by mapping out your processes meticulously to identify areas for automation, ensuring that machines and human efforts complement each other. Regular reviews and adjustments are essential to maintain efficiency and harmony in production. This balanced approach not only improves output but also sustains the quality added by human workers.

Criar um ambiente onde automação e trabalho humano se complementam, as empresas podem melhorar significativamente sua eficiência, qualidade, flexibilidade e capacidade de inovação, ao mesmo tempo em que mantêm um ambiente de trabalho seguro e colaborativo.

Il est également crucial de prendre en compte l’impact environnemental des systèmes automatisés. Bien que l’automatisation puisse améliorer l’efficacité, elle doit être mise en œuvre de manière à minimiser la consommation d’énergie et les déchets. L’intégration de technologies vertes et de pratiques durables dans les processus automatisés peut contribuer à réduire l’empreinte écologique globale de l’industrie, tout en maintenant des standards élevés de productivité et de qualité.

Utilize collaborative robots that work alongside human workers to enhance efficiency and safety, which can handle repetitive tasks while human focus on more complex operations. Design operation stations to accommodate both automated and manual processes, ensuring that each complements the other effectively and efficiently.

Como dijo el filósofo Heráclito "lo único constante es el cambio". No debemos enfrascarnos en el pasado. Cada día son muchas las tecnologías y herramientas que se desarrollan con el fin de mejorar de una forma o de otra la manera en como trabajamos. Por lo que resulta imprescindible estudiar y aprender sobre todo lo nuevo que está surgiendo. Nunca se termina de aprender. Además, esto es una vía en como desarrollamos nuestra adaptabilidad frente a nuevos retos.

One of the current trends in the academic and professional world is implementing technologies in production systems that carry out circular economy operations. These operations are extremely complex, given the variety of products to be processed that have already been used. Human operators possess undeniable know-how and the ability to use their senses, which is often essential to maximize secondary recovery. Although it cannot replace humans in many tasks, partial automation of certain tasks is indispensable in these systems to support operators and reduce the negative impacts associated with physical and cognitive effort.

Acudiendo a otro filósofo, "si las cosas se siguen haciendo de la misma forma no esperes diferentes resultados". Es por ello que la incorporación de la AI es fundamental tanto para la formación impartida como para la autoformación, lo que exige analizar las fuentes de información que usa la propia AI, y con ello una formación para adaptar la experiencia humana a estos métodos avanzados en la automatización.

A união da supercomputação (para gerar e simular cenários) com a IA poderá nos próximos anos, impactar enormemente em vários setores. Não vemos ainda de forma expansiva isso acontecer pois temos uma vantagem competitiva de quem detém recursos e utiliza as análises com a união por exemplo, do que escrevi acima. Quando vier a "democratização" disso, sentiremos no dia a dia. Algumas inovações podem demorar para vir e outras já estão ai no dia a dia. Só fazer uma analogia de que muitas das tecnologia que vemos aplicados nos carros atuais, foram desenvolvidos e aplicados há decadas nas corridas, por exemplo, de fórmula 1. Ex: câmbio automático, freios ABS, controle de estabilidade e de tração.

Utilize own data for analysis to gain insights into production processes and identify areas for further automation or process improvements. Implement AI and machine learning to optimize production schedules, predict maintenance needs, and enhance decision making.

The implementation of emerging digital technologies in production systems can lead to ethical concerns, such as processing employees' personal data, and increased risks for the workforce, particularly psychosocial risks like mental workload, stress, feelings of continuous surveillance, or loss of control. Anticipating these risks requires working with multidisciplinary teams and closely collaborating with users to ensure optimal implementation of the technology and improve its performance at the heart of the workshop.

By using automation in the production line, due to better and more accurate control, the amount of production can be improved. Also, the time spent on production is found. In other words, the principle of automation is "less time, more quality"