The 5 Biggest Trends Manufacturers Need To Be Ready For

The 9 Biggest Trends Manufacturers Need To Be Ready For

Manufacturing organizations have enormous opportunities to leverage smart factories and new technology trends to boost revenue, increase safety, and improve processes.

In this article, we’ll look at the 5 top tech trends that every manufacturing organization needs to be ready for starting today.

1. Data, AI, and the Industrial IoT

In the future, we will have increasingly interconnected Internet of Things (IoT) devices to collect data, and manufacturing companies can use this data to enhance their processes. For example, data gathered from sensors on machines can help manufacturers understand how machines are performing, so they can optimize maintenance schedules, reduce machine downtime, and even predict when things will go wrong during manufacturing.

2. Smarter, More Sustainable Production Processes

Today, there are smart versions of everything, from vacuum cleaners to thermostats to toilets – and therefore, manufacturers will continually need to explore ways of giving customers the intelligent products they expect.

Manufacturers will also offer more services alongside popular products. For example, car manufacturers already offer add-on services like maintenance, charging, roadside assistance, and even infotainment packages.

More customers will increasingly gravitate towards products that are sustainable, reusable, and recyclable along the entire supply chain. We already see smaller, pop-up factories starting to replace mega factories that produce items far away and then have extensive supply chains to get products to consumers. For instance, a British company called Arrivals has completely reimagined the manufacturing of delivery vans. They can create smaller, flexible pop-up factories in less than six months that have considerably more streamlined supply chains.

3. Automation and Dark Factories

Dark factories are fully automated sites where production happens without direct human intervention. As robot technology advances, we will see more of these fully automated factories.

In more traditional manufacturing environments, robotic exoskeletons can help those on the production line lift heavier parts without compromising safety. We also have collaborative, intelligent robots or "cobots" that are specifically designed to work alongside humans. Nissan already uses robots to help employees install engine intakes.

4. Predictive Maintenance

Manufacturing organizations will use sensor data to detect when a machine or part is likely to fail, so they take preventative action and maintain their equipment more effectively. Predictive maintenance isn’t something that only works on brand new machines, either. For example, Siemens has even used maintenance sensors on older motors and transmissions, and by analyzing the data, they can now fix older machines before they fail.

5. 5G and Edge Computing

The fifth generation of mobile data network technology will enable manufacturers to easily connect their IoT technology and collect and process data within devices, such as smart machines and sensors. Edge computing, which brings more of the collection, processing, and storage of data to actual devices, will become more common. Even today, manufacturers can create private 5G networks on their premises, which will give them ultra-fast data speeds without the need for cables.

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