Quote:
Originally Posted by striperman36
time to start coding more.
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It's interesting to look at the history...
Back in the day a machinist would pretty much do everything by hand. I remember a plant one time (they made aftermarket piston aircraft engines) had all these old lathes from WW2 used to turn tank cam shafts...wow, these things were big.
Then NC programming came about and you'd program a routine by tape.
Then even that got computerized (CNC) but the machinist still has final control. This is how most stuff is done today.
The trend in more tightly regulated industries is now to do everything in CAM software and not modify the code at the machine. It makes sense in some applications (for instance you may be required to know exactly which program made which part years later) but also really takes away from the artistry of the job.
So even though the factory isn't a bunch of robots, the job functions have shifted and become more technical as a result. The technology also allows companies to get better utilization from their production equipment so more parts can be cut without adding a lot of people.
Again, this is just one example, but I think a part of the unemployment problem we have right now is simply a correction as technology is becoming more advanced.
-spence
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