FRANKFURT, Germany—The International Robotics Federation estimates that approximately 1.3 million new industrial robots will be installed around the world between 2015 and 2018.

Robots and other flexible tools are now a common sight in aircraft factories.

Assemblers continue to invest in robots. Does your assembly plant employ robots? Is it planning to? Share your thoughts!

Robotic screwdriving offers numerous advantages to manufacturers, such as flexibility and repeatability. However, it’s easy to underestimate the requirements of automation. Sometimes, engineers specify the wrong type of robot or overlook parts feeding issues.

Several issues need to be addressed before there will be more widespread use of robotic screwdriving. Cost, robot design, training, culture and other factors must be considered by manufacturing engineers.

Assemblers must work quickly while meeting strict quality requirements.

Manufacturers in many industries are reshoring their assembly lines. Several factors are behind this phenomenon, including the ability to automate assembly tasks that traditionally used manual or semiautomated fastening equipment.