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How Relevant are Craft Skills?

Posted May 12, 2010 8:12 AM

Just what are the areas of manufacturing where the human hand and eye remain superior to high-tech automated systems? Robotic deburring is making inroads in metals manufacturing and can potentially displace manual operations. But four decades after robots made their debut the balance of capability against cost remains a matter of debate. So are there operations that will always be just a bit too fine, even subjective for machines to do? Do old-fashioned craft skills still have a role to play and, if so, is that fact properly appreciated?

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Anonymous Poster
#1

Re: How Relevant are Craft Skills?

05/12/2010 8:22 AM

Don't get Del started!

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chrisg288
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#2

Re: How Relevant are Craft Skills?

05/13/2010 11:31 AM

Anything non-repetitive, you will find the human superior.

Will the created ever over-take the creator? sounds religious to me.

but a great theme in Sci-Fi and Robotics.

The answer is that it is not an either-or situation. It is a situation where humans are able to benefit from the precision and repetition of the robotics, and robotics benefits from the genius and creative application of electromechanical knowledge to problems. They grow together.
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Isti80
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#3
In reply to #2

Re: How Relevant are Craft Skills?

05/14/2010 5:07 AM

"Anything non-repetitive, you will find the human superior." - For sure, there's no complete replacement for a human being. "Will the created ever over-take the creator?" - Couldn't have put it better. "sounds religious to me." - It may be so but, it is very true that a created product simply cannot superceed the creator. Man's been trying to defy god but it is still in vain so far despite all of our efforts including the scientific ones. Imagine, wouldn't it be absurd if a robot trains itself to be smarter than the one who created it and then destroys the invironment around itself on which its very survival depends? This effort used to be called 'progress' however, now days it is aka PROFIT. Sound familiar?

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chrisg288
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#5
In reply to #3

Re: How Relevant are Craft Skills?

05/14/2010 9:04 PM

Its a complex issue. We can't define spirit. On a purely technical scale, it seems the computer might be faster at computing, and some other aptitudes.. but that is just an appearance. It may well turn out that every neuron is a comparator, with a thousand inputs... and able to do things that most humans don't practice. How do you then make an accurate assessment of human capacities. Idiot-Savants are one clue that we have some amazing capacities. I'm sure there are more. Our abilities are somewhat tied to our beliefs, as shown by hypnosis research.

Chris
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ky
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#10
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Re: How Relevant are Craft Skills?

09/18/2010 4:47 PM

I have no idea how I got here. My signature line says it all, I suppose.

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#11
In reply to #10

Re: How Relevant are Craft Skills?

09/18/2010 5:31 PM

"I have no idea how I got here ..." - You getting all theological on us - or maybe you're in need of a "Birds and the bees" talk ?

[In all seriousness, navigating the CR4wl spaces can be most disorienting ].

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#12
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Re: How Relevant are Craft Skills?

01/11/2012 4:21 PM

I like your 'signature line'....yes, spare Santa nd let him watch the aurora that's apperantly will be spectecular this year.

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#13
In reply to #12

Re: How Relevant are Craft Skills?

01/11/2012 6:42 PM

Thanks! But it's going to have to go soon - Santa has come and gone for this year (he gave me some rather mixed gifts). I'm currently scouting round for a new sig line.

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#14
In reply to #13

Re: How Relevant are Craft Skills?

01/12/2012 4:29 AM

Aaa! you've changed it already b4 I even managed to grasp it....

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rurudr
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#4

Re: How Relevant are Craft Skills?

05/14/2010 10:48 AM

You are correct in saying that automation is increasing every day in areas of manufacturing, however, when I think of "Old-Fashioned Craft Skills" I like to think of their place in the field. No automation or robotics that I know off can take the place of a boilermaker, pipe fitter, or other skilled craft in the event of an emergency shutdown. No automation can do a grass roots, field erected vessel, hang steel, run pipe, do controls, etc. Or eplace a reactor or vessel in the middle of an operating facility. The skill level of working "In Situ", the planning, the co-ordination, the rigging...All of which requires "The Human hand and Eye" will continue to remain superior. I know your question was more focused on shop manufacturing, and maybe someday, the shop will be reduced to a few operators. But when it comes to field work, old fashioned craft skills will always be necessary and difficult, if not immpossible to replace. Hats of to every skilled craftsman that get it done day in and day out.

As an aside, all the technology in the world didn't stop what happened in the gulf from happening. Now its the brain trust of humans (and maybe our fault in the first place) that are trying to figure it out, not the automation. I watched with pride as they showed boilermakers making every concievable "Non-Routine" hat section to try and cap that thing.
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Doctor Bender
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#6

Re: How Relevant are Craft Skills?

05/18/2010 7:58 AM

The typical human does not have the skill or knowledge for everything. Yet the typical business owner must manage everything! Business Planning, Accounting, Sales, People Power, Traffic Management, Maintenance, Punching, Deburring, Bending, etc.. These High-Tech machines can take major issues off the plate, affording the time to do what humans do best, dream how to apply these newly discovered tools, well and have fun too.
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Doctor Bender
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#7

Re: How Relevant are Craft Skills?

05/18/2010 8:13 AM

The typical human does not have the skill or knowledge for everything. Yet the typical business owner must manage everything! Business Planning, Accounting, Sales, People Power, Traffic Management, Maintenance, Punching, Deburring, Bending, etc.. These High-Tech machines can take major issues off the plate, affording the time to do what humans do best, dream how to apply these newly discovered tools, well and have fun too. db
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#8
In reply to #7

Re: How Relevant are Craft Skills?

05/18/2010 8:25 AM

Heard you the first time!

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Doctor Bender
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#9
In reply to #8

Re: How Relevant are Craft Skills?

05/18/2010 9:00 AM

Just wanted to be sure you were listening,,,
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Anonymous Poster (1); chrisg288 (2); Doctor Bender (3); Isti80 (3); JohnDG (3); ky (1); rurudr (1)

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