Advanced Manufacturing: Manufacturing Gets Smarter, Faster

Smart sensors and digital process controls are poised to exponentially improve the efficiency of U.S. advanced manufacturing.

New technologies and business models have the heavy/discrete manufacturing industry on the verge of an innovative new period that promises greater productivity and the potential for lower costs, according to a recent report prepared by GE. Supply chain models are adding efficiencies, and smart sensors and automation technologies are making factories more efficient and safer than ever before. Recognizing the importance of this innovation, industry, academia and governments are investing heavily in research and development to help national manufacturers become more competitive in 21st century manufacturing.

The predominant theme in manufacturing remains the concerted effort to move manufacturing to its smarter, more efficient, more innovative future. Here’s a peek at what’s driving change in 2017:

The factory of the future: Tesla’s “Gigafactory,” may represent not just what future factories look like, but how companies approach their entire manufacturing process.

Innovation partnerships: The Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (SMII) is an advanced manufacturing hub intended to drive advances in smart sensors and digital process controls that could dramatically, even exponentially, improve the efficiency of U.S. advanced manufacturing.

Data-driven manufacturing: Cheap and ubiquitous sensing has afforded an unprecedented ability to gather huge amounts of granular process data in real-time. These sensors, along with the data they generate and the analytics tools to process that data, make up the connected network of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and are critical elements of the next generation factory.

The changing workforce: Automation is changing the mix of jobs in and around factories. Much of the traditionally repetitive or dangerous work is being automated–driving the need for new sets of skills, especially for technicians and programmers. So, while some jobs are becoming obsolete, the reality is that automation does not always mean fewer jobs, it merely requires different jobs.

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