Chinese factories are developing at great speed, and by the looks of it, will soon be far more advanced and technologically superior than any of its global competitors. The automation of the so-called “fourth industrial revolution” is emerging. Countries around the world are competing to upgrade their manufacturing capacity and China is taking the lead. “Made in China 2025” was launched in May 2015, a scheme dedicated to rapidly advancing Chinese factories’ manufacturing ability through venturing further into research and development, innovation, and encouraging technological advancement.
One of the factors driving the advancement of the Chinese manufacturing industry is the increasing use of industrial robots. In 2015, sales of robots rose 8% and reached the record figure of 240,000 units sold, driven mainly by demand from China. According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), by the end of this year China will overtake Japan to be the world’s biggest operator of industrial robots. If this prediction is true, what could be the impact for businesses manufacturing their products in China?
- Lower labor costs. By implementing robots, significantly fewer factory workers will be needed along the production line. This also means less administration work for HR and fewer employees to keep track of.
- Increased productivity. Automated machines can work twice as fast as their human equivalent. As a result, productivity will soar. Furthermore, human workers can suffer from conditions such as fatigue which alters their productivity whereas the advantage of machines means that productivity will be consistently high.
- Higher and consistent quality. Along with consistent productivity comes consistent quality. Machines make fewer mistakes than their human counterparts and as a result there will be a lower product defect rate which will save you money in the long run.
- Increased product complexity. High-tech machines produce high-tech products. Implementing robotics results in companies being able to manufacture more technologically advanced products which leads us to our next point.
- Diversification. Being able to manufacture more complicated products gives businesses the ability to increase their product portfolio and possibly even venture into new industries.
China is the manufacturing location of choice for many businesses due to its cheap production costs and high quality. With the increasing automation of Chinese factories, these benefits will become more prominent and more rewarding due to the reasons above. Made in China 2025 will allow China to successfully compete in the race for robotics, and as a result, your business will reap the rewards.
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