Cobots Integration Encouraged for PH Manufacturers

Philippine manufacturing industry leaders have been advised by Danish tech company Universal Robots (UR) to integrate collaborative robots (cobots) to improve productivity amidst the global pandemic.

Cobots are viable solutions to perform tasks that people in groups could not safely perform, especially as strict health protocols continue to be enforced. Given their countless advantages, various industries have been increasingly adopting these machines.

The cobot market is expected to reach $7,972 million by 2026 at a compound annual growth rate of 41.8 percent. Cobots in the Asia Pacific are also projected to surpass those in Europe by 2021 as they continue to be used in large-scale manufacturing industries like the electronics and automotive sectors.

The country has a bullish outlook on the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), which will continue to rise through the rest of the year, making cobots a welcome development in the Philippines.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), manufacturing production reported an annual rate of -46.5% in February 2021, making the sector among the hardest hit by the ongoing pandemic.

UR is confident that should the local manufacturing industry integrate the use of robotics, it can produce consistent output and redirect employees to high-value tasks that will improve productivity and quality.

“UR believes in developing affordable, lightweight, and flexible cobots that could deliver a rapid ROI [return of investment] for the manufacturing industry,” said UR Asia Pacific Regional Director James McKew.

Adopting cobots can have an average payback period as quick as 12 months. Local manufacturers can expect an ROI before the end of the year of early 2022.

“By lowering automation barrier within the reach of manufacturers who never thought that they could deploy robots due to cost and complexity, we hope to help the Philippine industries realize higher productivity and maintain effective utilization of their plants,” added McKew.

Source: Business Mirror