Years of continued supply chain disruption and surging ocean freight rates have accelerated reshoring decisions. New 自动化 technologies that overcome labor shortages and offset higher U.S. wages are helping to close the labor-cost gap and reshore more 制造业 to the United States.

As labor becomes a smaller share of the total cost of 制造业, companies that once offshored due to cheap labor are beginning to favor production in closer proximity to the markets they serve. 对自动化的投资可以帮助企业获利.

解放人力资本

Japan, Germany, and South Korea each have more robots deployed per 10,000 workers than the U.S. 但你.S. 自动化的采用正在加速. 国际 
Federation of Robotics found that the robot density per 10,000 workers in North America jumped 28% in Q1 2022 compared to the first quarter of 2021, 这是有记录以来的最高增长率. 
当公司将重复或危险的任务自动化时, 他们可以将工人重新部署到更高技能的岗位上, leaving the less-skilled work to machines—helping reduce workforce shortages. It’s important to note that 自动化 helps developed countries more than developing countries. Developing countries’ key advantages are lower wage rates and available workforce. Automation reduces the labor hours required to produce goods and shifts the mix toward higher-skilled workers.

杰罗德·奥斯本, vice 总统 of 制造业 and engineering at Wisconsin-based Waupaca铸造 told Modern Casting, “What we’ve experienced with 自动化 is movement away from repetitive roles in the foundry, 以及更好的人体工程学和安全性, 让它成为一份更令人向往的工作.”

有利可图的卖点

自动化流程提供了更好的工作条件, 最危险的任务由机器人来完成, 更容易招募和留住铸造工人. Automation decreases the potential for injury of the most important asset: employees.

宾西法尼亚-based Buck Company invested in an automatic pressure pour system, 新型研磨电池, 并从2020年1月开始增加. 安全记录有所改善, 交货更及时, 员工满意度上升, 流动率下降了. Automating high-risk areas like grinding and pouring helped reduce injury. 

格伦迷糊的, Buck Company vice 总统 of sales told Modern Casting, “至于我们的客户, 我们的安全性能很有帮助. 看看我们的灾难与自动驾驶 ... 我们的安全记录也是一个很好的卖点. That speaks to our stability and long-term sustainability.”

自动化投资获得回报 

Pandemic-related logistics problems prompted electrical and 自动化-equipment company Schneider Electric to consider localizing more 制造业 for both itself and its customers. Pre-existing investments in 自动化 and software enabled them to shift more work away from China without significantly increasing operating costs.

位于列克星敦的施耐德“智能工厂”, 肯塔基州, now makes 70 to 80% of the parts needed for its products in-house. The Lexington plant is so productive that it now ships some parts to Schneider’s Mexico facilities instead of the other way around. 

“We now have the technology and resources available to expand and efficiently produce more locally. 通过现代化和本地化我们的业务, we can better serve our customers and minimize the risk of interruption when we face the challenges of global economic changes,安妮特·克莱顿说, 首席执行官兼总裁, 施耐德电气北美公司.

回流和实现二氧化碳中和

The demand for foundries to reduce emissions to achieve CO2 neutrality is becoming increasingly stringent. The negative environmental impacts of offshoring include higher carbon emissions and pollution from factory production in less-regulated developing countries with more coal-intense electricity and a higher carbon footprint from long-distance maritime transport. A Reshoring Initiative study concluded that sourcing aluminum die castings locally, 而不是从中国进口, 减少25%至50%的二氧化碳排放量. 

The obvious approach to achieve CO2 neutrality is to manufacture products locally. 环境 Social and Governance (ESG)-focused reshoring increases U.S. job opportunities, helps reduce global emissions, and puts money back into local hands across the U.S. 经济.

Makarand Karanjikar, senior vice 总统 of supply chain deployment at Schneider Electric said, “由于供应链网络的邻近性, reshoring is expected to positively impact the scope 3 carbon emissions from supplier transportation and distribution.”

自动化采用的主要瓶颈

The hype about 自动化 hasn’t convinced enough manufacturers to take the plunge beyond picking, packing and movement—even if money has been set aside for it—as they worry about the cost, 扩展, 他们缺乏知识/经验, 还有失业, 麦肯锡分析师写道. Companies should determine business-critical priorities that are key value drivers and examine technologies that can help them achieve those objectives. 供应商应该提供具有成本效益的解决方案, 快速部署, 可靠的, 安全, 和可伸缩的.

匹兹堡, 宾西法尼亚, plans to invest $63 million to launch the Robotics Factory, 一个将创造, 加速和扩大机器人创业公司. 

“Not only will the Robotics Factory programs address existing problems experienced by industries that can be solved using robotics and 自动化 solutions, we plan to also provide the resources and funding that are so critical to emerging companies,拉朱法师说, 总统 & CEO of Innovation Works, a regional partner in the project.

快速启动自动化采用

We need to automate as rapidly as possible, given economic and manpower constraints. Companies should stay focused on sustainable business models, making decisions based on total cost analysis instead of price, and using 自动化 to close remaining total cost gaps.