It’s an exciting time for manufacturers. In fact, manufacturing is “undeniably in the midst of a technological renaissance that is transforming the look, systems, and processes of the modern factory.” (Source) In order to remain competitive, manufacturers must embrace these changes and invest in the processes and technology of today and the future.
When it comes to manufacturing, it really is important to stay on top of the trends. Here’s a look at three of the top manufacturing trends that will shape the future:
Digital Manufacturing
The Industrial Internet of Things refers to the integration of machinery, shipments, infrastructure, etc. with networked sensors and software. When a factory is connected digitally and managers have access to real-time production environment data, including equipment, product, planning, and execution data, operational efficiency is improved. The data can be used to predict maintenance failures and disruptions to proactively prevent them in order to reduce downtime. It can also be used to inspire new types of products, services, or approaches that bring value to the customer and create new revenue streams. Along with an investment in digital manufacturing must also come an increased investment in security.
Robotics
According to Cerasis, between 2015 and 2018, it is estimated that about 1.3 million new industrial robots will be installed in factories around the world. And for good reason. Robots can improve productivity while solving complex problems in specialized industries. Industrial robots are an important component of digital manufacturing, as they are designed to communicate about productivity, inventory levels, etc. in real-time.
Using robots also results in cost savings, as they complete more work in less time and at a fraction of the cost of manual labor. In addition, robots eliminate problems associated with varying labor costs by region and availability of skilled workers. They also keep manufacturing environments safer.
3D Printing
While we are still in the early stages of 3D printing, the manufacturers that are already using it are saving money and reducing production time. 3D printing will begin to play a larger role in manufacturing, which means that manufacturers must become familiar with it in order to incorporate it into their processes.
These trends aren’t necessarily new concepts. We’ve been moving in this direction for some time. However, what’s different is that smaller manufacturers are going to need to start adopting these strategies and investing in them in order to remain competitive with larger, global companies. If they don’t, they are going to quickly fall behind.