Page 33 - MetalForming March 2020

Fabrication
the global metal fabrication robotics market is growing at a CAGR of around 19 percent, with the market expected to exceed 74,000 unit shipments by next year. Robots also can relieve welders of the fatigue and injuries common in physically demanding applications.
Further, the skills inherent to “new- collar jobs” suit younger workers well, especially Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012). The term new-collar work- ers, coined by IBM CEO Ginni Rometty, refers to those with a mix of technical and soft skills attained through non- traditional educational paths to work in technology industries. Attractive to Gen Z folks, and others: Workers responsible for programming and oper-
ating robots and other automation equipment earn higher-than-average starting pay, receive good benefits, and often do not need a 4-yr. degree.
Many educational institutions, including community colleges and voca- tional schools, already have developed programs to train a generation of new- collar workers on how to program and maintain automation equipment and robots. Similarly, some manufacturers have started to offer training programs to prepare new-collar workers on the job. GE, for example, has begun to train its welders to program robots. Its employees often tout the training as a way to learn new skills, retain their jobs and ease the burden of manual labor.
With a labor shortage and escalating demand putting pressure on the welding industry, manufacturers need to find innovative ways to create efficiency and improve productivity. While expanded recruitment efforts to reach a new gen- eration of workers remain crucial, addi- tional solutions such as implementing robots can help bridge the gap and improve the bottom line. MF
Robots can relieve welders of fatigue and injuries common in physically demanding applications.
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