The latest disruptions in manufacturing technology are bringing about a change in the industry. Modern manufacturing companies are slowly accepting that being exposed to the most recent technological trends in manufacturing is less of an addition and more of a necessity to the business. This has resulted in the gradual shift of several companies from manual manufacturing processes to digital manufacturing. Advanced manufacturing technologies such as nanotechnology, cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT) are changing the face of the manufacturing sector. The execution of cutting-edge innovations in manufacturing has brought about a change that would have been unfathomable a decade ago, resulting in increased precision, speed, customization, and efficiency. Here is a look at four manufacturing technologies that are changing the look of manufacturing as we now know it:
#Manufacturing technology 1: 3D printing
The proliferation and application of 3D printing technology in the manufacturing sector have been one of the biggest news making headlines in the recent times. 3D technology can produce almost any component using metal, plastic, mixed materials and even human tissue. Aerospace manufacturers like NASA, GE, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin are already producing critical system components using 3D printing for their engines and systems. With the improving ability to print metal materials in 3D, large and small industrial manufacturers are starting to experiment with this technology to identify how to it can be beneficial for their business.
#Manufacturing technology 2: Light-based manufacturing
Recently, an international team of researchers formulated a light-based manipulation platform with which electronic components for use in smartphones and computers can be manufactured. This manufacturing technology will help replace expensive robots with light for assembling parts. The light-based method relies on devices that use light to manipulate small objects in liquids. This technology has the potential to mass produce electronic parts cheaply and quickly, which could overhaul the way items such as circuit boards are manufactured. At present, expensive robots are required to place and solder minute parts of circuitry into place. When electronic components get smaller, it becomes a time-consuming and challenging process. Micromanipulation manufacturing technology such as light-based manufacturing could prove to be a cheap and simple alternative.
#Manufacturing technology 3: Simulation
The capacity to simulate the production of a part from its design process to its final production will help reduce the present issues encompassing 3D printing in manufacture. Presently, additive manufacturing has mostly been based on trial and error, which can result in a costly development process as companies must tweak the system until they get it right. But simulation provides accurate predictions of how parts will behave, which, in turn, will eventually reduce errors and cut costs. Hence, integrating simulation into manufacture from the beginning to the end will help unleash the full potential of 3D printing in the manufacturing industry.
#Manufacturing technology 4: Smart factory
From smartphones to smart TVs the word ‘smart’ is slowly being prefixed to most of the things around us. We can expect to see this trend in manufacturing companies too in the form of ‘smart factory.’ Smart factories will integrate advanced technologies into every part of the manufacturing process. Companies will gradually start to use manufacturing technology in the form of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, and the internet of things. This will result in fully connected, flexible and hyper-efficient manufacturing systems.
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