‘Agile’ is a word that Mark Cuban used a lot during his interview with Breitbart last week. He noted that in order to survive the COVID-19 pandemic, companies would need to be agile and quick on their ‘feet’. Cuban suggested that industries, manufacturing specifically, will completely change – production will shift domestically, and we need to be ready to re-capture our dominance globally and our workforce locally. Our competitive edge in global manufacturing will be through the deployment of technology – industrial robots – and for US manufacturers, he said now is the time for robotics.
“I’m looking at investments in robotics because I’m a big believer that for America 2.0, the only way we’re going to be able to take jobs back from overseas is by advancing beyond them technologically,” stated Cuban.
Robotics Key in Bringing Manufacturing Jobs Back to USA
Currently, robotic system integration holds the key to bringing manufacturing jobs back to America. Robot labor cost (computed as the installed cost of the robot plus tooling and engineering), running 2 shifts, is calculated to be $2-$3 an hour1, which is significantly lower than the cost of labor in all domestic low-cost regions. The juxtaposition associated with robots replacing people and being the key to job growth is confusing for many. The fact is that robots automate production, which increases the speed at which companies grow. Higher output and accelerated growth lead to better, high paying jobs available for people.
New robot orders were trending up year after year prior to this pandemic. The robotics industry was estimated to reach a worth of $75 billion by 20242. “Now is the time to push — to invest — in robotics” said Cuban when asked what companies should be focusing on. This unstable environment certainly highlights the need for integrating automation into production. When people can’t work, output doesn’t have to suffer. People don’t need to be on the front lines of manufacturing floors putting components together, they can be working (remotely if need be) on more value-added tasks like process improvement, safety, and strategic growth.
If you are looking at integrating robotics into your production, RMH Systems can help. Our robotics team is ready to help find the right solutions for your business. Fill out a contact form here and an engineer will be in touch with you.
You can listen to the full interview here:
https://www.breitbart.com/radio/2020/04/16/mark-cuban-only-way-to-take-jobs-back-from-overseas-is-with-robotics/
1. https://www.roboticsbusinessreview.com/manufacturing/pick-place-profit-using-robot-labor-save-money/
2. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/industrial-robotics-market-worth-75-6-billion-by-2024–exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-300928590.html