Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Robots Can Save America

Buy A Robot And Save America
Robert Malone

The average wage for a U.S. warehouse or distribution worker is around $15 per hour (plus benefits). The average wage for this same work in China is about $3 per hour. The average wage for a skilled UAW U.S. automobile worker is $25 to $30 per hour, plus the staggering costs of health care coverage and retirement.

The average cost per hour to operate an industrial robot is, “30 cents per hour,” according to Ron Potter, director of robotic technologies of Factory Automation Systems.

Even if this figure is doubled to 60 cents and includes a vision system, a software package and yearly maintenance, it is still only one-fifth the cost per hour of a Chinese laborer.

Close to 15,000 industrial robots, worth more than $900 million, have been purchased in North America. These figures are on track to double--then double again--at which point the U.S. might catch up with Japan. This would decrease the need to outsource many manufacturing and distribution jobs to China.

Buy A Robot And Save America - Forbes.com

4 Comments:

Blogger Bob Mottram said...

The less developed countries have such low labour costs that they can throw a lot of manpower into production, but the more advanced countries such as the US and European ones can't compete against such low costs, so they have to go high tech instead.

In the more advanced countries factories usually contain high levels of automation running at high speeds and operated by few staff. In the less advanced countries the reverse is the case.

We're still living in an age where human labour can compete directly against automation, with the economic success of countries like China being an example of this. But that won't remain the case, and as the 21st century progresses a stage will be reached where no matter how many human hands you employ or how little their cost they won't be able to compete against an automated factory.

5:45 AM, January 04, 2006  
Blogger Prospector said...

Thanks for the comment, Bob.

I agree robots intend to take control of factories in the developing world as well. Don't forget that the robot agenda also includes placing robots in our homes.

9:14 AM, January 04, 2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Interesting to see how robots can save american by reducing workers and not having to provide health insurance benefits which can save a company a lot of money.

10:00 PM, January 04, 2006  
Blogger Prospector said...

Maybe they will reduce medical costs by replacing doctorsand nurses

7:53 AM, January 05, 2006  

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