New Tasks in Old Jobs: Drivers of Change and Implications for Job Quality

This overview report summarises the findings of 20 case studies looking at recent changes in the task content of five manufacturing occupations (car assemblers, meat processing workers, hand-packers, chemical products plant and machine operators and inspection engineers) as a result of factors such as digital transformations, globalisation and offshoring, increasing demand for high quality standards and sustainability. It also discusses some implications in terms of job quality and working life. The study reveals that the importance of physical tasks in manufacturing is generally declining due to automation; that more intensive use of digitally controlled equipment, together with increasing importance of quality standards, involve instead a growing amount of intellectual tasks for manual industrial workers; and that the amount of routine task content is still high in the four manual occupations studied. Overall, the report highlights how qualitative contextual information can complement existing quantitative data, offering a richer understanding of changes in the content and nature of jobs

A methodology for the selection of industrial robots in food handling

As the global population continues to rise and consumer demand for a wider variety of food products increases, food manufacturers are exploring various strategies, methods and tools to change and adapt. Furthermore, restriction in access to low-cost labour and introduction of more stringent legislation are forcing the food industry to update their production processes. Industrial robots, a pillar of Industry 4.0, promises many benefits to the food manufacturing industry, especially in responding to these new challenges. The integration of such automation into food manufacturing has been a slow process in comparison to other manufacturing sectors and has largely been limited to packaging and palletising. This research aims to improve the application of industrial robots within food manufacturing through definition of a methodology for the identification of a flexible automation solution for a specific production requirement. The paper explores the four steps within the Food Industrial Robot Methodology (FIRM), through which users define, classify and identify their foodstuff and automation solution. The application of FIRM is exemplified through an industrial case study to support food manufacturers investigating the potential benefits of utilising industrial robots within their production systems

Towards human-robot collaboration in meat processing: Challenges and possibilities

Background Meat is one of the main sources of protein in human nutrition. During recent years meat production volume has been showing significant growth worldwide. The total growth of red meat production is expected to show an 80% increase by 2029, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation Development (OECD). Such growth indicates the necessity for existing production line modernisation to satisfy future increased demand for meat products. Scope and approach This article critically reviews automation challenges for robotic applications in the meat industry, among those are heterogeneity of meat pieces and inconsistency of cutting trajectories that must be overcome to achieve the final quality product. It specifically focuses on human-robot collaboration (HRC) that could be applied in the meat industry to address these challenges. The paper elaborates on possible adaptation of HRC in meat industry, based on its achievements in other industries. Key finding and conclusions With increased customisation for both hardware and software robots can offer a flexible, scalable, compact and cost-effective production line alternative to older machinery that require large floor space, are difficult to adapt and include higher maintenance costs. However, in the case of red meat industry there are no off-the-shelf robotic solutions that can cover all the production steps in the secondary meat processing. Introducing collaborative robots into meat processing could help to promote higher standards in food safety and human-working conditions in the industry and make automation more affordable for smaller production plants.Towards human-robot collaboration in meat processing: Challenges and possibilitiespublishedVersio

Robotics in meat processing

Scientists are currently investigating micro-robotics in the medical field with a potential to provide better medical technology in the near future. When it comes to the food industry, the use of robots has been traditionally limited to picking and palletization. Today, however, robots are used in material handling and secondary or tertiary packing. Recent developments with faster computers and sophisticated sensors have made it possible to use robotics in the meat processing sectors, where their application has reduced processing costs, occupational injuries, improved efficiency and hygiene associated with meat products. Compared to other industries, the working environment in the meat industry is not very conducive to robotics due to the noisy, damp and cold conditions. Slaughtering animals and cutting meat into pieces and disposing waste is an intensive physically demanding task. This chapter reviews the application of robotics in the meat industry and the advancements that have been made until now

The Role of Robots and Automation in Space

Advanced space transportation systems based on the shuttle and interim upper stage will open the way to the use of large-scale industrial and commercial systems in space. The role of robot and automation technology in the cost-effective implementation and operation of such systems in the next two decades is discussed. Planning studies initiated by NASA are described as applied to space exploration, global services, and space industrialization, and a forecast of potential missions in each category is presented. The appendix lists highlights of space robot technology from 1967 to the present

Challenges for industrial robot applications in food manufacturing

The global food industry is facing many challenges due to the impact of climate change, ever-changing demands by consumers, and increasing legislative pressures by the government, which have resulted in several drivers for changes. Current large scale rigid manufacturing systems are increasingly seen as incapable of supporting the underlining requirements for implementation of such changes. In this context, one of the key requirements is the need for improved flexibility and reconfigurability of production facilities, often provided by adoption of Industrial Robots in other manufacturing sectors. However, despite their recent technological advancements, in particular the advent of the 4th industrial revolution (Industry 4.0), and significant reduction in overall implementation cost over the last two decades, the uptake of industrial robots in food processing has been slow. This paper explores the application of industrial robots in food manufacturing, the benefits of their use and the challenges currently hindering their uptake

Smart Computing and Sensing Technologies for Animal Welfare: A Systematic Review

Animals play a profoundly important and intricate role in our lives today. Dogs have been human companions for thousands of years, but they now work closely with us to assist the disabled, and in combat and search and rescue situations. Farm animals are a critical part of the global food supply chain, and there is increasing consumer interest in organically fed and humanely raised livestock, and how it impacts our health and environmental footprint. Wild animals are threatened with extinction by human induced factors, and shrinking and compromised habitat. This review sets the goal to systematically survey the existing literature in smart computing and sensing technologies for domestic, farm and wild animal welfare. We use the notion of \emph{animal welfare} in broad terms, to review the technologies for assessing whether animals are healthy, free of pain and suffering, and also positively stimulated in their environment. Also the notion of \emph{smart computing and sensing} is used in broad terms, to refer to computing and sensing systems that are not isolated but interconnected with communication networks, and capable of remote data collection, processing, exchange and analysis. We review smart technologies for domestic animals, indoor and outdoor animal farming, as well as animals in the wild and zoos. The findings of this review are expected to motivate future research and contribute to data, information and communication management as well as policy for animal welfare