Robot role
September 1st 2007 Mitsubishi Electric has become a
Technology Partner to Sheffield
University's Advanced Manufacturing
Research Centre with Boeing.
Despite aerospace's reputation
for being at the cutting edge of
technology, its manufacturing and
production processes are largely
craft-based. A huge amount of
manual labour goes into building
an aircraft and with it the possibility
of inefficiency, inconsistencies, and
human error.
The Federal Aviation Authority
has published a timetable for
change; manufacturers who cannot
reach it will find their approvals
revoked. Set out in objectives such
as accuracy, repeatability and
traceability, automation is said to
be the only practical way forward.
Mitsubishi says robots are a
suitable technology. They are
adaptable and can be assigned to
very different tasks. They are easy
to retool and reprogramme and,
when coupled with complementary
technologies such as vision
systems, become almost humanlike
in their ability to adapt. More articles from Mitsubishi Electric Europe: | 
