Manufacturing is one of the most vibrant industries in the United States. It accounts for a staggering $2.17 trillion of the country’s economy. Despite popular belief, it’s actually on the rise. Trends indicate the industry has been on an upward trajectory of 27% since 2009.
New technological advancements in the manufacturing field have helped to meet consumer demand better. From computer vision in warehouses to advanced robotics in R&D, tech is certainly making a huge impact on each step of today’s manufacturing process.
The latest movement in the sector also involves technological advancements and their impact on both factories as well as the workforce.
With the implementation of CMMS (computerized maintenance management systems), the industry is now highly efficient. The system tracks system maintenance, breakdowns, and inspections, thus making system disruptions smaller and obsolete.
The benefits of technology in manufacturing include:
Courtesy of technology, the overall efficiency in manufacturing is predicted to rise at seven times the 
best rate seen since 1990. Due to the industry’s low digitization, there’s plenty of headroom for software-led improvements and automation.
Smart facilities are quickly replacing the past’s man-powered shop floor. This year, expect to see more tech-savvy workers using artificially intelligent robots to create the services and products of the future.
How will technology change the manufacturing industry in the next few years?
1. Better Quality Products Courtesy of Vision Inspection and Assembly
By employing an integrated vision inspection/assembly system, manufacturing businesses will ensure that their products are strictly of the highest possible quality. Basically, a vision inspection/assembly system is a customized and unique machine that features built-in tech that mass inspects part runs.
The highly sophisticated machine boasts high precision. It eliminates almost all risks of problems or defects.
Through world-class technology, businesses can significantly mitigate the time taken to verify dozens of specified criteria. The entire complex analysis can be handled within milliseconds.
Because the system efficiently combines inspection and assembly processes, manufacturers can handle huge runs of parts within a shorter time and with greater accuracy.
2. Reduced Packaging Time through Automated Packaging
Automated packaging has been around for some time. The coming years will see more manufacturing businesses implement this tech as a way to stretch resources and limit expenses. An effective way to save money in any business is to eradicate waste and automate processes.
By utilizing automated packaging systems, businesses will not only be able to derive the most from their personnel, they’ll also manage to save money and time.
The seven benefits of an automated packaging tech are:
In terms of time, automated packaging saves manufacturing businesses approximately 15 hours.
3. Continued Integration of 3D Printing
Businesses in the industrial sector started using 3D printing a couple of years ago. Because of its huge benefits, the use of this tech will continue not only in this year but also in the years to come. The utilization of 3D printing dramatically reduces the amount of time taken to create and produce prototypes.
The tech also brings down the overall costs related to processing.
Before the emergence of 3D printing, businesses could take close to three weeks to design, develop, and produce a prototype. Through additive manufacturing, the time has reduced to merely 3 – 4 hours.
Since the time taken to build a prototype has decreased, manufacturers can now devote more of their time to exhaustively test and evaluate the part hence allowing them to adjust and/or optimize the designs effortlessly when necessary.
4. Increased Use of Robotics
The continued utilization of robots plays a huge role when it comes to the resurgence of manufacturing as one of the main contributors to the GDP.
Currently, manufacturing lines in the United States have more than 237k robots in use. There are considerably more in countries such as Japan, where electronics manufacturing is a huge business.
Initially, most factories relied on people to assemble intricate pieces of engineering and electronics. Output was not only laborious and slow, but also the work of human beings was susceptible to errors.
While robots were quite costly at the beginning, their initial costs have reduced significantly in the recent past, which informs their increased use.
The truth is that robots handle manufacturing jobs better than humans do. In addition to being more precise, they boast the ability to handle even the most sophisticated tasks on the production lines.
All these are a major bonus to manufacturing plants.
5. Products Will Become Smarter
Modern consumers demand connected, responsive, and intelligent products. Wearable technology, connected cars, and smart lighting are perfect examples of these products.
As products become smarter and more high-tech, manufacturers need to figure out how to mass-produce the tech. They also need to maintain the pace of the product’s technological evolution, since improvements are made on a continuous basis. Essentially, this changes the entire business model of manufacturing, as well as the needed skill set of workers.
Products will no longer be simple projects easily created and assembled on the line. Manufacturers of smart products will need the skills of a much more specialized talent pool on a larger scale than ever before.
Summary
Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, there’s no doubt that manufacturing has been a main force pushing societal and industrial transformation forward. Today (and in the years to come), a new generation of complicated technologies will drastically transform manufacturing into a highly intelligent, connected, and more productive industry.
JMARK helps manufacturers take advantage of I.T. to enjoy shorter turnarounds, higher-quality products, and faster production times. We have offices in Springfield, Missouri and Tulsa, Oklahoma and clients located nationwide. Talk to us today to find out more about customized I.T solutions for your business. Call 844-44-JMARK or email [email protected].
