At present, the biggest obstacles to the use of robots in small and medium-sized manufacturing industries can be summarized as follows:
I. High cost
1. Equipment purchase cost: The purchase cost of industrial robots and related equipment is usually high, which is a considerable expense for small and medium-sized enterprises with relatively weak financial strength. Especially when key components such as reducers, servo motors, controllers, etc. have not yet been localized, resulting in prices much higher than similar foreign products, it has increased the burden on small and medium-sized enterprises.
2. Maintenance and upgrade costs: In addition to the initial purchase cost, the later maintenance and upgrade of industrial robots also require certain expenses. If the company lacks professional technicians or the equipment fails and requires external repairs, these will increase the company's operating costs.
II. High technical threshold
1. Operational complexity: Industrial robots are the product of multidisciplinary cross-integration, and their operation is relatively complex. Enterprises need to have certain technical strength and professional talents to operate and maintain these equipment proficiently. However, there is a large gap in relevant application talents, which increases the difficulty for small and medium-sized enterprises to use industrial robots.
2. Difficulty in system integration: For small and medium-sized enterprises, they often need to carry out secondary development and system integration of industrial robots according to their own production needs. However, this requires enterprises to have a high level of technology and R&D capabilities, which is a big challenge for most small and medium-sized enterprises.
III. Market and risk factors
1. Uncertainty in market demand: Small and medium-sized enterprises often face the problem of unstable market demand. If enterprises blindly introduce industrial robots and market demand fails to meet expectations, the high equipment investment may become a heavy burden for enterprises.
2. Use risks: Industrial robots may encounter various risks and problems during use, such as equipment failure, operational errors, etc. These risks will not only affect the normal production of enterprises, but may also cause economic losses and reputation damage to enterprises.
IV. Policy and regulatory factors
1. Insufficient policy support: Although the government has introduced a series of policies to support the development of industrial robots, the support for small and medium-sized enterprises may not be strong enough. Some small and medium-sized enterprises may not be able to enjoy the dividends brought by the policy.
2. Regulatory restrictions: In some industries or fields, the use of industrial robots may be restricted by regulations. If enterprises fail to fully understand the relevant regulations and take corresponding measures, they may face legal risks.
In summary, the biggest obstacles to the use of robots in small and medium-sized manufacturing industries mainly include high costs, high technical barriers, market and risk factors, and policy and regulatory factors. To overcome these obstacles, SMEs need to actively seek government support, strengthen technology research and development and talent training, optimize market strategies and pay attention to regulatory developments.