Germany's shift to robot automation

DW (English)

Automation is on the rise in German industry. Robots are reliable, never sick, and not bound by labor laws. Yet, many small and mid-sized companies still struggle to adopt them.

Transcript

00:00This is Horst. He works 24-7, never takes a vacation, never calls in sick, and doesn't even ask to be paid.

00:10Most robots are built in Asia, but Horst is proudly made in Germany.

00:15Can Germans produce competitive robots? And is there a market for them?

00:22This is Horst's inventor, Jens Rieger.

00:25He built his first industrial robots with the help of some college friends.

00:31Back then, my parents lent us 10,000 euros for a software license because we had nothing to design it with.

00:38That was our start, and we fought our way through.

00:44Today, his company, Fruitkor Robotics, employs around 100 people.

00:50The robots are assembled in the Black Forest in southern Germany, at a factory that formerly made TVs.

01:02When it comes to production, the company is careful not to reveal too many details.

01:11Developing the robotic joints took a particularly long time.

01:15Fruitkor's innovation allows the robotic arm to absorb forces evenly, even during continuous operation.

01:22Engineers say this makes the machine more durable. They guarantee it for six years.

01:29Horst is controlled by software developed in-house.

01:32To continue improving their products, the company needed multiple rounds of investment, often exceeding 15 million euros.

01:40Despite China's strong presence in the robotics industry, the company has deliberately done without Chinese investors.

01:49China is an ever-present player, competitor, supplier and global contender.

01:54You can look at it from different angles. As a competitor, you never know what's coming.

02:00There's a lot of talk, but not much is actually visible.

02:04On the other hand, production, especially for circuit boards and electronic components, has ramped up in China.

02:11You simply can't avoid dealing with that.

02:19Despite strong competition from Asia, these robots from the Black Forest are selling, mainly to small and mid-sized businesses like this firm,

02:27which manufactures specialized forceps for surgery.

02:31Known as biopsy forceps, they come in many variations.

02:35Manufacturing them requires numerous steps, employing lathes and milling machines.

02:40Tiny parts must be machined with extreme precision.

02:43This is where the robotic arm comes in, to load the machines.

02:49But things don't always go smoothly, especially when working with new parts.

02:53Then human expertise is needed.

02:56Programming the robot is as easy as using a smartphone.

02:59This industrial mechanic taught himself how to do it in just a few days.

03:06It's definitely interesting, because this is the future, and it's much more convenient than inserting the parts by hand.

03:15300 kilometers away, near Bern, Switzerland, labor costs in Switzerland are, on average, twice as high as in Germany.

03:23That's why this metalworking company has embraced automation.

03:27The robots quickly pay for themselves.

03:30The facility produces hydraulic components, often thousands at a time under tight deadlines.

03:36Thanks to Horst, this small business has remained competitive and can now take on large orders, because the robot works around the clock.

03:47Someone had to constantly stand here to load and unload the machine.

03:52Now the robot does it for us, and we can focus on other, more important tasks, or just different ones.

03:58We're no longer stuck doing the same thing all day.

04:04Now she has time to inspect the finished parts, and working in the metal factory has become more enjoyable.

04:15Back to Germany.

04:17To make things even easier for workers, Horst's engineers are developing a voice control system for the robot.

04:26Horst, give me a 50-cent coin.

04:29Horst finds the coin all on his own.

04:33The integration of AI is opening up entirely new horizons in the world of robotics.

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