Information technology,It is creating buzz again. This time in the manufacturing world, which is undergoing the greatest transformation since the last century. As technology optimizes manufacturing processes, threat of evaporating workforce looms.
Industry experts, more and more, have started referring to the next generation technologies as big data, cloud, social drive information technology, mobility in diverse forms.
But, technology on its own is not enough. It is the underlying business model transformations employed by these new technologies that are revolutionizing manufacturing.
Some of the key trends – industry 4.0 are activated by developments in smart manufacturing, Artificial intelligence [AI], Internet of Things [IoT], robotics etc.Market research indicates, Industry 4.0 in addition to prompting manufacturers to invest $267 million in IoT by 2020; is also transforming manufacturing along in 5 different dimensions.
· All-in-one production of tangible products via 3D
One of the major technology which has left its mark in manufacturing, as per market research, is the 3D printing. This allows a seamless production of tangible products utilizing only a single machine. 3D provides a fundamental change because it offers –
1. Reduction of waste by plastic re-cycling
2. Decrease time lag needed for transportation and replacements
3. Proffers more possibilities of ways to design a part
4. Diverse implications for mass productions
5. Making developments in products a possibility, be it for medical devices or toys.
· Monitoring 360°-ly
New tools are creating more possibilities for companies to– a] to emulate the design process and the assembly lineprior to the creation of the actual products and b] to create situations for trial in a virtual world.
Simulating the product production stage assists in saving manufacturing time. It also assures that manufacturing process delivers exactly what the company intends to create. Utilization of AR [ augmented reality] allows individuals from around the world to connect and troubleshoot unitedly.
· Automation is the trend – but managed by humans
Using smart equipment automatically means better manufacturing process. Besides the obvious challenges, the outlook of how the Industry 4.0 workforce will look like is strong. There is of course, the concern of automation displacing human jobs. Plus, the bulk of automation used can pose a threat to humans. Therefore, robotics would complement, not replace the human workers.
There will still be need for humans who will manage new operations, the robotics. They will program and maintain them. Just as the manufacturing world is shifting, the job of the workforce is also shifting. This new workforce will be divided among those who can build and design automation and those who can maintain them.
· Building smart factories using cloud technology
Factory environments are one the major factors influencing developments in smart sensors and cloud computing.
While smart sensors are used for converting information into different units of measurements, interacting with different systems, recording statistics and feedback, shutting off devices if safety issue arises etc.
IoT functions lays in tracking and examining the production quotas, integrating control rooms and creating predictive maintenance etc.
Meanwhile, cloud computing allows businesses to procure and analyze data that impacts the production line. Information from AR and VR, more customer feedback will have significant effect on R&D, giving customer what they need faster, all the while cutting down costs. A system that will ultimately promote innovation.
· Advanced Manufacturing on Auto-pilot
Automation enables a level of productivity and precision that cannot be achieved by human capability. The new generation of robotics are easy to program and even easier to use with features like voice and image recognition to recreate complex human tasks. Another advantage is that they do exactly what is asked of them – nothing more or less. While they save human time which is spent in the most tedious manufacturing tasks, they also create new jobs for re-trained workforce.
A significant change in smart manufacturing will not only lead to greater profits, more jobs and superior economies, they will usher us into the new era of production.
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