Reshaping manufacturing is a necessity in the times of digitization and technological supremacy. Manufacturing has played a vital role in the global growth of the economy, since the 19th century.
The reason why the manufacturing revolution has had a big impact on our economy is because it brought about a huge improvement in our day-to-day productivity. Productivity amounts to growth. It’s quite simple; in order to grow, we need to produce even more in our global economy. Growth does not come automatically. It has to be seized. This might include more capital, more productivity, more labor or reshaping manufacturing altogether.
The Need for Reshaping Manufacturing
The manufacturing industry has become extremely automated. The idea today is to keep factories small and agile. Scale does not matter anymore, flexibility does, and the collaboration between man and machine is on the rise. Flexibility is needed to reduce the tension in the industry. Infrastructure optimization is essential i.e. optimizing energy consumption in a factory. But what if the existing manufacturing system and modern technologies came together to create the next big manufacturing revolution?
As technology is creating new opportunities for all of us, we will witness reduced error in production and need for lesser worker training. The technologies that are reshaping the manufacturing industry include: The Internet of Things, cloud and cyber security, advanced manufacturing robots, 3D printing, augmented reality, Industrial Internet of Things and Nanotechnology. Let’s take a more detailed look at 5 of the most outstanding technologies.
1. SMAC
Social Mobile Analytics Cloud or SMAC is a combination of four technologies, none of which can be ignored by any business that’s seriously interested in understanding its customers better.
2. Advanced Manufacturing Robots
Advanced manufacturing robot is not a fancy futuristic idea. There are robots out there working for industries. They are human-like and can perform complex repetitive as well as non-repetitive tasks. Last year, in the U.S. alone, robots helped Amazon prepare and ship the products required for Cyber Monday, the biggest online retail event held at the end of every year.
3. 3D printing
3D printing is simplifying complex tasks by shifting the responsibility from a worker to a machine. A fuel nozzle, for example, is one of the most complex parts to manufacture, for the single reason that it involves the production of 20 different subparts that need to be produced separately and then assembled together. 3D printing allows workers to turn those 20 different parts into just one. The output is an overall 40% of more productivity and more growth.
4. Patents
Due to lack of awareness, infringement on the rights of a patentee is a common mistake. Patent issues can tarnish a brand image and cause huge monetary losses to a business. However, the manufacturing industry is now becoming more conscious of the legal aspects of its business and is avoiding any infringement. This also helps in freely innovating in technological fields.
5. IoT
IoT is revolutionizing the manufacturing industry. It is predicted that by 2025, IOT will deliver tremendous monetary value in the new economic manufacturing space. With IoT, manufacturers can extract valuable insights from data, unleash transformative new services, and add intelligence and connectivity to legacy systems. By reshaping manufacturing, globalization will enter a new era. The new model of manufacturing will be much cleaner, much better, and much more competitive in global markets.
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