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By 2017, China will have over 400,000 industrial robots, surpassing North America and the European Union in the number of robots operating in factories. "Chinese Unmanned Factory Replaces 600 Humans With 60 Robots" - According to an article in the People’s Daily, the “official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party” (so emphasis on that “according to”), the Changying Precision Technology Company in Dongguan, a sprawling industrial city north of Shenzhen, has replaced some 600 human assembly line workers with 60 robots, resulting in a fivefold reduction in manufacturing errors and an increase in production of over 250 percent. This is the “first unmanned factory in Dongguan,” the article says, and the initial step of a comprehensive industrial automation plan for the region called the “Robot Replace Human” program.

Drumbeat gets louder as inflection point gains credibility, adherents and momentum toward 2025.  “The capabilities and costs associated with deploying advanced industrial robotics are reaching an inflection point, and large-scale deployment will drive significant changes in the manufacturing cost competitiveness of the major export economies.” - The Boston Consulting Group

Universal Robots has reinvented industrial robotics with lightweight, flexible robot arms. Tasks previously thought impossible to automate due to cost and complexity, are now achievable with the user-friendly robots. The Danish-designed robot arms work separately or as dual arms demonstrated here with the UR5. In more than 45 countries, from the small machine shop to the large auto assembly line, Universal Robots optimize production, relieve employees from strenuous or monotonous tasks, and ensure quality control.

Systems integration for faster cost-effective production. Festo in conjunction with machine builder, IFC Intelligent Feeding Components, has made production process variability and shorter set-up times possible for Tyco Electronics. The Festo Tripod robot has created instantaneous re-calibration of work piece types a reality at the press of a button. The Festo Tripod robot manages production with an IFC flexfeeder system that feeds components through the production process. This simple integration, including the resulting new possibilities for instant process variability, is a practical example of the company’s vision moving towards process automation and integration.

A smarter, safer new industrial robot could bring automation to new areas of manual work and help many U.S. manufacturers regain a competitive edge. Meet Baxter, a revolutionary new category of Robot from Rethink Robotics that is capable of applying common sense behavior to manufacturing environments. Affordably priced, versatile and safe enough to work shoulder-to-shoulder with people, Baxter robots redefine how small, mid-size and large domestic manufacturers use automation to compete with manufacturers in low-cost regions of the world.