An interesting article from the Chines People’s Daily website reports on how phone manufacturing company Changying Precision Technology Company in Dongguan, China has upgraded its production lines to be operated solely by robotic arms.

From the article:

“The first unmanned factory in Dongguan, a city of southeastern China’s Guangdong province, lays out a vision of future manufacturing: all the processes are operated by computer-controlled robots, computer numerical control machining equipment, unmanned transport trucks and automated warehouse equipment. The technical staff just sits at the computer and monitors through a central control system.”

This radical change has reduced the number of employees at the company from 650 to 60, and there is a planned reduction to only 20 employees in the future. The result of this change has led to a decrease in defective products from 25% to 5%, and an increase in productivity from 8,000 pieces per person per month, to 25,000.

This factory transformation has been made possible by subsidies from Guangdong province, a major manufacturing region in China which is investing over $150 billion in the next three years to help companies transition to robotic production, partly because of an apparent labor shortage in the area. Many workers in China are leaving manufacturing because of poor working conditions and the desire for a more middle-class lifestyle. Also the population is aging with fewer younger workers available in the workforce.

Advances in robotics has led to widespread discussion thoughout the world on what the impact on society will be — and here’s quite a dramatic example. From a business owner’s perspective there could be seen to be many advantages to using robots instead of humans in manufacturing processes. They can run 24/7 under harsh conditions, and don’t quit, get sick, become fatigued or discontent — and can increase product quality and production output.

So from many points of view, this can look like progress. As goods are produced with lower input costs, there is a downward pressure on consumer prices, allowing for improved standards of living. However the inevitable question arises: if automation is the trend in manufacturing around the world, what is the impact on jobs? Some say new jobs will become available as the number manufacturing jobs shrink and new technologies come online. Others say that this time things are different: automation is taking place at a much faster pace than new jobs are being created. We’re going to have to see how all this plays out.

In terms of LENR, robotics could play an important role in Andrea Rossi’s plans to manufacture his E-Cat plants as cheaply as possible. Soon after revealing his E-Cat technology, Rossi talked about robotized production lines for producing his domestic E-Cat units, but so far they have not come on the market — apparently because they have not had safety certification yet.

Now, Rossi says that the industrial plants will be the first E-Cat products to hit the market, since they do have safety certification. I asked Rossi today what role robotics might play in the production of the E-Cat plants. Rossi responded:

Andrea Rossi

July 30th, 2015 at 6:24 PM

Frank Acland:

The role of robots will be important. We have already ready all the technology.

Warm Regards,

A.R.

Up to this point, it appears the prototype E-Cat plants and reactors have basically been hand built by Rossi and his associates. But it sounds like extensive preparations have been underway for widespread manufacturing, and it sounds like robotics are involved, which could help with speed of production and keeping the costs low.