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There is intense debate surrounding digitalisation and its implications for work. However, empirical research within established workplaces, especially international comparative studies, remains limited. This article uses cross‐country research to further analysis of the relative importance of different institutions, actors and power relations in shaping digitalisation and worker outcomes. Through a multi‐level approach, it compares the use of industrial robots in the food and drink processing sector in Norway and the UK. Drawing on qualitative research, it explores the pace of digitalisation, the process of implementation and job and skills outcomes. The study finds strong national differences in the pace of digitalisation, and the role of unions in the process of implementation. In Norway, union power at workplace and national level, embedded in institutional arrangements, underpins more advanced use of technology and improved outcomes for workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine how robot adoption and Chinese import competition shaped employment patterns in 352 cities across the United Kingdom. We find that cities whose initial industry composition exposed them to industrial robots and China's integration into the world economy experienced significant employment declines. When pitched against other capital and technologies, the impact of robots remains distinct. Our findings suggest that one more robot per thousand workers reduced the employment-to-population ratio by 0.5 percentage points, while an increase of $1,000 imports from China per worker reduced the employment-to-population ratio by 0.11 percentage points. We also show that while these are sizable effects, penetration of both robots and Chinese imports are too small to account for Brexit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is concern about robots taking our jobs. This analysis looks at the impact of industrial robot adoption in the UK. Using a novel instrument to deal with endogeneity of robot adoption, estimates suggest that higher robot use is associated with increased employment and some evidence of a positive effect on part‐time pay, contrary to evidence from other countries. However, there is a large amount of heterogeneity across industries. The results show that industrial robots have directly replaced workers in automobile manufacturing. On the other hand, they have had positive effects on other areas of the labour market such as services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Industrial Revolution was an irrevocable new beginning for humanity. The invention of cotton spinning machinery made an opportunity of United Kingdom to dominate markets via colonies. United Kingdom bought cheaper cotton, cotton spin and the other materials by obtaining via colonies. So, first industrial revolution made West Countries to reach mass economic growth and mass prosperity. In 1914, Hendry Ford invented assembly line and increased workers' salary. This innovation was provided mass production and mass consumption. At the same time, the fordist production system supported the Keynesian Welfare State and full employment policies. Welfare State and full employment policies, both were designed to improve the economic security of the individual, although welfare-state arrangements deal with life-cycle situation, while full-employment policies focus on the situation at a given point in time. In the 1970s, with the beginning of invention of programmable machines caused post-fordist production while caused flexible production and flexible labour force. But, rapid tecnological advances, IT enabled machines and industrial robots can cause unemployment problem. Some scientist says that investment in human capital financed by the worker can provide to increase skills and provision of training level and quality. Automation technologies and rapid tecnological advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have the potential to disrupt working relations. The problem is to have, one hand tecnological advance can provide new occupations but the other hand, new jobs can't enough replace disappeared ones. So, rising automation is happening in a period of growing economic inequality. Some scientist believe that rapid increasing technology could transform the human into a so-called overhuman. Esspecially Stephen Hawking focused on is: enhanced genetic engineering, Crispr-Cas9 machine which change DNA structure of humans. Another comment in the book by Nietche states that "thus spoke zarathustra" mentions overhuman. Nietzsche's figure of the "overhuman" is smarter, stronger and healthier than human and gradually destroying human race. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers news briefs on various industries including automobile, technology, and aviation. An electronic vehicle (EV) trial in Great Britain reveals that EV drivers journey only 56 miles to avoid recharging during their trips. The Automated Transport System (ATS) supply robots to be deployed at the Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Stirlingshire, Scotland will be used for cleaning tasks. A test flight will be made by Air China Ltd. for the use of biofuel in its Boeing 747-400 aircraft.

Purpose - The paper aims to describe how BMW in the UK has increased the number of industrial robots at Plant Oxford in the UK; this plant is part of a production "triangle" that brings together three of its four manufacturing plants in the UK to produce the latest version of the Mini passenger car - the Mini Clubman. Design/methodology/approach - The paper describes the major production line techniques that are used in the manufacture of the body-in-white (BIW) structure as well as the functions of painting and final assembly of the vehicle. The BIW techniques include spot-welding and ultrasonic weld inspection for parts assembly. Findings - Over the space of the last three or four years, the management of BMW Group has increased significantly the stature of its UK manufacturing units with the aim of increasing the diversity of models produced, while at the same time achieving greater utilization of its existing capacity, and improving productivity. Research limitations/implications - The BMW Group continually assesses all of the functions involved in the manufacture of a motor vehicle, and in this context is working both with its own plants and with suppliers of equipment and components to enhance production and quality processes. This includes all of the processes of joining steel and other materials using spot welding and adhesives. There is also much to be gained from the interchange of information between the various plants in the group world-wide with a view to implementing continuous improvement. The benefits achieved from one process in one particular plant are quickly communicated to other facilities, again with the object of improving quality and productivity. A typical example here is the paint shop. Practical implications - It is likely that, arising out of greater plant integration and utilization, the management of BMW Group will be able to further increase the capacity of its Mini production units to be in a position to move to the next stage of expansion, namely to reach a target of 300,000 units a year. Originality/value - BMW continues to rationalise its UK plants in Oxford, Swindon and Hams Hall, further integrating these production facilities with those of major component suppliers to produce a finished vehicle. There is a heavy concentration of KUKA robots within the BIW and sub-assembly manufacturing facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although global statistics suggest that the UK is still lagging behind other advanced nations in the uptake of modern robotics technology, falling prices, increased relative performance and smaller installation footprints are prompting more British manufacturers and processors to invest in multi-axis industrial robots. Identifying the potential applications and cost benefits is one thing however; choosing the right robot for the task and building it into a fully functioning automated work cell is quite another. Human input, in the form of operator commands, diagnostics and programming changes, is incorporated into the robot cell by means of a human machine interface (HMI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the financial pressures on manufacturers growing, the threat from low-cost manufacturing locations just the latest challenge, the demand for higher productivity and quick return on investment is growing almost daily so the reticence of UK manufacturers to adopt automation, particularly robotics, is somewhat perplexing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents news briefs on the robotics industry as of June 2000. Plastic moulding applications of robots presented at the National Plastics Exposition 2000 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois; Number of robots sold in Great Britain in 1999; Move of Sertec Group Holdings Ltd. to purchase the company Contour Cutting Technologies; Features of the intelligent cleaning robots which use navigation technology from the company Siemens.

Presents several products released by the robotics industry in Great Britain as of 2000. Rho4 robot handling and machine control from Bosch; RE40 ironless winding system from Maxon Motor UK Ltd.; Grippers for automated assembly equipment from Leader Grippers; IRB 580 coating robot from ABB Flexible Automation.

Presents a review of the 1996 statistics on the installation of robots in the United Kingdom which was collected by the British Association for Robotics and Automation (BRA). Length of time the BRA has collected these statistics; Total UK robot population; Detailed information on statistics.

Looks at the highlights of a two-day colloquium organized by Professional Group C14 of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, on information technology for climbing and walking robots, held in Portsmouth, United Kingdom. Centrepiece of the two-day event; Presentation of reports by five speakers at colliquium; Details of event.

This article comments on the impact brought about by the advances of machines capable of simulating human thought on the economic organization in Great Britain. The machine has almost completely replaced man as a source of muscle power. Thus, new race of robots is imminent which can distinguish colors and can select and position work pieces and variety of other criteria. Lastly, machine are threatening to take over much of the maintenance role of management.

The UK is home to several major air commercial and transport hubs. As a result, there is a high demand for Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) services to ensure that fleets of aircraft are in airworthy conditions. MRO services currently involve heavy manual labor. This creates bottlenecks, low repeatability, and low productivity. Presented in this paper is an investigation to create an automation cell for the fan-blade reconditioning component of MRO. The design and prototype of the automation cell is presented. Furthermore, a digital twin of the grinding process is developed and used as a tool to explore the required grinding force parameters needed to effectively remove surface material. An integration of a 6-DoF industrial robot with an end-effector grinder and a computer vision system was undertaken. The computer vision system was used for the digitization of the fan-blade surface as well as tracking and guidance of material removal. Our findings reveal that our proposed system can perform material removal, track the state of the fan blade during the reconditioning process and do so within a closed-loop automated robotic work cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on the latest innovation of TROL, the tracked robotic system by Fathoms in Great Britain. It is the world's first tracked robotic system, which is capable of delivering gamma spectroscopy in real-time, that would help to detect underwater radiation. The new technology is developed from the company's diving and undersea systems technology. It is reported that the trials with TROL in an area with suspected particles produced 11 positive contacts immediately while proving the efficiency of the system.

Provides information on the annual statistical report of investment in robot automotion in Great Britain manufacturing industry from 1997 to 1998. Reason for the decline in robot installations; Increase in the number of installations by other industries.

Presents information on a robotic installation in a brickworks at the Warnham factory of Ibstock Building Products in Horsham, Great Britain. Robotic installation as one of the first in a brickworks in Europe; Number of robots in operation at brickworks; Developer of robots at brickworks; Benefits of robots.

Reports on a survey of nearly 700 companies to find out who uses industrial robots in the UK. Outlines how the data was gathered and the investigation into which factors determined robot use: was it size, ownership, region, industry or a combination of these. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the statement issued by robotics manufacturer ABB Robotics Inc. regarding the need of the government of Great Britain to overcome its fear of robots to address the productivity crisis in the manufacturing industry. According to the company, the government should adopt robotics to avoid losing to its competitors. It mentions that the company launched its robot called YuMI to change the country's lukewarm view to automation.

The article presents news related to industrial engineering. The danger to human life through industrial accident and explosion is in sight of being eliminated by robots and micro-technology, was the message from Lord Gowrie, Minister of State for Employment. He gave as an example the way new technology in coalmines could bring an end to lung disease with its horrific social consequences. Opening a conference at Wilton Park on the social and political impact of industrial change, Lord Gowrie argued that there was a growing realization that change was necessary if the country was to avoid continual industrial decline. Some years ago Great Britain had led the world in robot research but had failed to turn that research into a development, production and user lead. However, the situation was fast changing. Lord Gowrie said that people now realized the missed opportunities of the past and there was a greater determination to ensure that the same did not happen in the future. At the present level of robot technology there was probably less to fear than to hope for in the way of social impact.

There is a growing need for efficient and flexible robots in manufacturing, not just by traditional users but by businesses of all sizes and type except in the UK, which seems to be lagging behind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on European Technology Platforms in Robotics (EUROP) in Great Britain. In December 2005 column, EUROP was introduced as an initiative of 50 leading European robotic industrial and research organizations to stay at the forefront of robotics development and production. Furthermore, EUROP was officially launched on June 29 2006 in Brussels, Belgium, with presentations of leading officers including Patrick Curlier, Jean François Coutris and Geoff Pegman.

The article reports that the sale of industrial robots in the third quarter of this year is the highest number on record, in Great Britain. The British Automation and Robot Association, has announced that 507 robots had been sold within Great Britain--evidence that significant investment in manufacturing in Great Britain is still taking place. This high number particularly reflects two major investment projects in the automotive sector accounting for 400 of the total. Key driver in the increasing use of robots in industry is the recent advent of low cost vision systems for many robot applications.

Examines the history of Clares Merchandise Handling Equipment Limited, the UK's leading manufacturer of supermarket shopping trolleys and its long connection with robotic welding technology. Its first robot was installed in 1976 and it has recently installed the 25th robot at its Somerset factory. Describes the MIG welding operation that many of the robots are used for and concludes that it is the company's intentions to invest in robots in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]