Automation, especially in manufacture and production springs a lot of pluses which makes automation a primary investment for companies and industries which involve performance of tasks in great quantities.

The advantages include high productivity of machines; making a great amount of production in a short period of time with the guarantee of the level of quality expected – with precision and accuracy – from each and every output. Indeed, it removes the common errors brought about by human resource in mass production, which more often results to great waste of materials and not to mention, capital. Thus with less waste, companies enjoy more profit. Finally, and probably the most obvious feature that automated machines has brought to the market is the relief from engaging into strenuous and dangerous type of work of the labor sector which usually causes damage to both health and property.

(Also read: 10 Reasons to Switch from Manual Hand Wrapping to Pallet Wrapping Machines)

However, such advancements do not come without leverage.

Automation is often viewed to replace the demand for labor that will greatly hurt the economic status of the workforce engaged in manual labor which is of significant percentage. This is so because companies would normally prefer the use of techniques which will yield more profit at a lesser expense – a machine would cost a lot less compared to employing labourers who will have to be compensated with nothing less than the set up minimum wage, which is inevitably increasing, and be given insurances. Apart from this, machines normally produce pollution; especially those powered by fuel or those powered by electricity which source is from fossil fuels. It is absolutely a challenge posited to each machine-manufacturer to be able to produce technology advancement without sacrificing the environment. Inflexibility is also a limitation of automated machines for they can only do what they are programmed to, hence there is no room for troubleshooting which is normally an immediate impulse with production or any type of work engaging human labor. Lastly, resorting to automated machines entail a bigger capital which also limits automated machines to industries of high-value and volume production.

Now is timely to say that the famous line, “nobody is perfect” does not only apply to bodies but apparently to machines as well. Logically, a creation cannot surpass its creator. Nonetheless, the advantages and disadvantages of automated machines do not intend to keep us one-sided. Advancement in technology is never to be frowned upon for it develops a higher standard of living for people, however such standard of living cannot be attained by machines alone, humans should be able to find the balance of working together with machines to realize the fullest potential in life – one objective by which machines were made in the first place.

References:
https://www.britannica.com/technology/automation/Advantages-and-disadvantages-of-automation
http://www.vista-industrial.com/blog/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-automation-in-manufacturing/
http://automationprimer.com/2014/02/16/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-automation/
https://www.robots.com/blog/viewing/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-automating-with-industrial-robots