ABSTRACT
Many high-value manufacturing processes continue to be performed manually by highly-skilled operators (for example, tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding). However, as the manufacturing industry continues to face a shortage of skilled operators, organisations are regularly considering automated alternatives as a means to increase productivity without compromising quality. Rapid developments in technology have enabled automation to become increasingly more complex, capable and ‘intelligent’; performing functions that previously could only be carried out by human operators (Parasuraman, 2000). Automation promises greater efficiency and a reduction in human errors, and yet in many cases, these benefits are not delivered (Lee and Seppelt, 2009).
