Manufacturing Automation: Make Business Safer

Sean Murray - Vice President of Customer Success, Bright Machines

This presentation will focus on how the next generation of automation in manufacturing will bring a balance to the industry that’s been lacking over the past few decades: scale and flexibility. This new balance also has important implications for workplace safety and the environment. An industry veteran with over two decades of experience, Sean Murray will share examples from his past and current work illustrating the benefits to people and planet that come from automation. There are numerous persistent and emerging challenges facing the planet, global supply chains and the manufacturing industry in particular, such as an ongoing labor crisis and shortages, and geopolitical tensions. In response, advancing reskilling efforts or even committing to environmentally-friendly practices have not kept up with the challenges. The next generation of automation will address the largest of these challenges, and the implications the solution has on safety and sustainability. Sean will begin his session with an explanation of what has limited the manufacturing industry’s ability to solve persistent and emerging challenges: a hardware-centric approach to production. Manufacturers are currently years behind in the adoption of full-stack solutions. Automation in manufacturing now can help address the lack of progress in everything from workplace safety to accelerated reskilling efforts to enhanced quality. Attention will be drawn to the relevance automation provides for all manufacturers.  Environmental safety is a complementary addition to a united, efficient workforce. Sean will explain how it is important to be held accountable for emissions since almost a quarter (23%) of direct carbon emissions comes from manufacturing. He will explore the ways that companies can be flexible and balance profitable production with eco-friendly processes provided by automated manufacturing. The takeaway: automation allows for far higher yields, reduced transportation requirements due to local production, and less waste. The program will conclude with Sean drawing the focus back to why it is important for manufacturers to design automation processes that enable the building of multiple products that leave a smaller carbon footprint. That in addition to supporting reshoring efforts that bring manufacturing closer to consumers, further improving efficiency and sustainability by decreasing infrastructure, and thus logistical needs. In other words, how to bring the balance of scale and flexibility to the manufacturing industry through automation.  

Back