Manufacturing Machinery World January 2024

NEWS NEWS NEWS
ROBOTS HELP TO SOLVE “JAPAN'S 2024 PROBLEM”
Japan faces a labor shortage impact in 2024 as
new overtime regulations for truck drivers
come into force. This is being called the ‘2024
problem’ - its potential disruptions need
technological help. The world´s number one
robot manufacturing country is developing
automation strategies that will not only
target logistical issues but also a wide range
of industry challenges the new working time
legislation will cause.
“The government´s overtime cap is an
important step to improve working
conditions for employees,” says Takayuki
Ito, Vice President of the International
Federation of Robotics. “Industrial and
service robots deliver great solutions to
automate. Robots relieve workers of dirty,
dull and dangerous work and help to close
productivity gaps.”
ROBOTS LOAD AND UNLOAD
CARGO
In Japan, the average annual working hours
for a heavy truck driver were 2,568, which is
444 hours longer than the national average
for all jobs - labor ministry data from 2022
reveal. Placing cargo in and out of trucks and
warehouses is one of the most timeconsuming
tasks of truck drivers. Mobile
robot solutions in transportation and
logistics can help. To free up truck drivers
from loading and unloading cargo saves
them up to 25% of working time during a
day´s shift. Robots also help reduce errors in
order fulfillment by automating repetitive
tasks such as picking and packing.
ROBOTS SPEED UP
WAREHOUSING
Warehouse robots in use today range from
compact autonomous mobile robots to largescale
automated storage and retrieval
systems. Their use reduces the amount of
time required to move goods and they can
handle heavy loads and dangerous materials
without putting human workers at risk.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE ROBOTS
ARE BOOMING
The benefits of robots for transportation and
logistics are documented by latest statistics:
on a global scale, more professional service
robots were built for the transportation of
goods or cargo than for any other function.
Sales grew by 44% with more than 86,000
units sold in 2022 worldwide, IFR reports.
WORKPLACES OF THE FUTURE
“Regulations of overtime work and the
demographic change will require the
adoption of automation technology in many
branches of the Japanese economy,” says
Takayuki Ito. “The challenges of the trucking
industry are good examples to show how
robotics and automation deliver adequate
solutions for our workplaces of the future.”
IREX 2023 IN TOKYO (NOVEMBER
29 – DECEMBER 02)
The International Robot Exhibition (iREX) in
Tokyo is highly regarded both in Japan and
abroad as one of the largest robot exhibitions
in the world:
iREX homepage:
https://irex.nikkan.co.jp/?lang=en
iREX online webinars:
https://irex.nikkan.co.jp/webinar?
venue=3
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