Automated assembly is the use of machinery or robots to produce goods independently of human control. It was first used by the Ford Motor Company in the early 1900s to standardize parts and increase production of the Model T car. Today, it is used in many industries, including food, electronics, and medical research, to improve efficiency and reduce human contact in dangerous or contaminating environments. Large-scale manufacturing companies use heavy robotic equipment to assemble large products, such as cars, improving assembly and reducing human injury and failure rates.
Automated assembly refers to a way of producing goods by the use of automated machinery or assembly robots and a systematic approach to assembling goods that operates at least partially independent of human control. In most cases, automated machinery is used to produce products using standardized parts added in a specific series of movements or activities along what is commonly called an assembly line. In many technology companies, medical research and clinic companies, and factories, automated assembly is an important part of the process.
In the early nineteenth century, between 1908 and 1915, automated assembly arose as a standard manufacturing practice in companies such as the Ford Motor Company in the United States. By standardizing the parts used in the production of the Ford Model T car, as well as using machinery to assemble them, Ford was able to produce hundreds more of this popular vehicle to sell to consumers around the world. This made it cheaper and faster to produce cars. Automated assembly was then introduced to many other industries as a result of this success.
In many factories today, automated assembly is used to create parts and then assemble a wide variety of consumer products, from food to electronics. Workers are on hand to supervise the process and make sure assembly line flow is maintained over long periods of time to maximize the ability to produce thousands of quality products in the shortest period of time. Much of the machinery used requires careful calibration and adjustment, but requires no other human interaction.
Medical research facilities and food processing plants often use automated assembly processes in areas where human contact is dangerous or could cause product contamination. Hand-manipulated or robotic mechanical assembly equipment is used to handle products systematically within a sealed environment to minimize this risk. Technicians work behind glass barriers that protect products from human contact, but allow for quality assurance processes.
Large-scale manufacturing companies use larger automated assembly processes, including the use of heavy robotic equipment to assemble large products, such as cars. The assembly systems in these environments are operated from a central control center by a few workers, but otherwise assemble the vehicles independently during this process. While this form of manufacturing may appear to replace human workers, it has improved assembly and reduced human injury and failure rates in many industries, making vehicles more affordable for consumers.
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