A Survey on the Manufacturing Contribution of Installed Industrial Robots at Nigerian Breweries Factory in Kaduna Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

Industrial robots are used in more advanced automation to effectuate manufacturing with far greater speed, efficiency, safety, guaranteed consistency, and reliability than human processing. Countries that employ automation technologies are leaders in industrial manufacturing and contributions to economy. Developing countries like the ones in Africa are seen to hardly use automation technologies in industrial processing. Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa but her industrial base and development is very low. Many industries in Nigeria and other less developed economies face challenges in transitioning to application of automation technologies due mainly to either lack of awareness, costs, and shortage of manning personnel. Industries noted or suspected to be employing robotic technology in Nigeria were visited or contacted to know the realities. Findings indicated that only few Nigerian industries especially breweries employ robots in manufacturing in the country. Detailed survey of Nigerian Breweries factory in Kaduna metropolis as a notable manufacturing outfit employing industrial robots in Nigeria was conducted. The survey indicated that three robots named the packer, unpacker, and palletizer are employed at the company for removing, arranging, and placing about 25,000 empty glass bottles per hour either from or into crates on beer production lines before and after the bottles are washed or treated. These activities which can also be done manually were estimated to require more than 100 dedicated workers to accomplish every workday at the company. It was also evidential that the robots had greatly being contributing to productivity, quality, safety, and timely delivery of the factory products to customers with greater sale and profitability profile of the Breweries Company. The survey is intended to practically substantiate the technological option of employing robots to boost industrial manufacturing profiles and returns and contributions to economy in less developed countries.