Robot Manufacturing, Indoor Air Quality, and Occupational Risk

Robot, Defined

Aerial drones can detect environmental air pollution. Monitoring units can sense indoor gas leaks. Specialized weather devices can fly into storms and measure wind. The irony? That during the manufacturing of these products – all robots – indoor air can become polluted with fumes and dusts that can make workers sick.

A century ago, the term “robot” referred to a human being whose activities were automatic and repetitive. The word derived from the Czech term, robotnik, which meant forced labor: occupational drudgery in one instance, involuntary service in another. As science and technology advanced, a robot became redefined as a machine that resembled a person and operated independently, performing human functions. Today, robots are no longer solely modeled after the human form. A robot is any automated machine capable of carrying out a complex series of actions.

Whether moveable or stationary, robots are automated machines used to save their human counterparts time, money, and energy.

Robots, Types and Uses

Robots exist – at least to some degree – in most business sectors. Educational robots help teachers deliver lessons, entertainment robots simulate animals and other objects, and medical robots perform a variety of surgical tasks in healthcare settings.

The roles robots play are as varied as the forms they take. They can be collaborative and work alongside humans or be preprogrammed and sit in a corner of a room. They can be used at home, in the office, or on the manufacturing floor. They can look like a person, a teddy bear, or a plain black box.

Consider the varied forms and functions of robots used in industrial settings. On an assembly line, no human can match a robot’s dynamic speed and precision while welding objects together. On the factory floor, robots can be programmed to lift, sort, and move objects, freeing up a worker to perform other tasks.

The Occupational Risk

Like any manufactured object, a robot goes through phases of design, fabrication, and assembly. Depending on the type of robot, parts may be welded together before assembly. Adhesives and lacquers may be used. Components may be heated, painted, or sanded. Unfortunately, all these functions can release pollutants and create an unhealthy indoor air quality (IAQ) for robot production workers.

The Solution

Unhealthy emissions created during robot manufacturing can be eliminated if proper steps are taken. IAQ management should include proper workspace ventilation, the use of personal protective equipment such as goggles and facemasks, as well as the use of air cleaning equipment such as fume extractors. 

Fume extractors (also known as air purifiers, air cleaners, and filtration systems) can help improve IAQ by removing potentially hazardous emissions before they can enter a worker’s breathing space. Our Extract-All® products for source capture and air filtration can help. Contact us today for a free consultation with one of our clean air specialists to find out if our fume extraction air cleaning products are right for you.