Communications of the ACM
Factory Workers Become Coders as Companies Automate
Some U.S. manufacturers are training employees in programming and robotics, as automation sweeps through the industry.
Credit: Steven Ruark/Marlin Steel Wire Products
Some U.S. manufacturers are offering employees programming and robotics training, as automation sweeps through the industry.
Wire-basket maker Marlin Steel Wire Products, for example, acquired $2 million worth of robots in the past 15 months, and is training workers to operate both the robots and laser-cutting software.
Marlin Steel's employees write code so robots can fabricate parts to specifications, while others employ collaborative software to engage with clients on design revisions in real time.
Said Marlin Steel Wire Products CEO Drew Greenblatt, “We’re not going to beat the competition because we are charging lower prices. We are going to beat the competition because of the technology. These are factory workers turning into coders to exploit the technologies.”
From The Wall Street Journal
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