Smarter “Smart Manufacturing”
There is a lot of discussion in Washington and other government capitals about how to bolster adoption of “smart manufacturing.” The goals are often focused on how to use technology to improve manufacturing productivity, decrease energy usage and design better performing products. But what do we mean when we say “smart manufacturing”? Recently the US Senate took a step forward in answering that question — by adopting a definition in an energy bill it passed that recognizes the many ways technology can make manufacturing “smarter.”
Smarter products, factories and processes consume less energy.
The Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2016 (S. 2012) is a far-reaching bill that provides new rules and incentives for both energy production and energy efficiency. Importantly, it recognizes that reducing energy use in manufacturing needs to be a core part of any energy efficiency efforts. To that end, the bill includes a provision (section 1202) expanding programs for small- and medium-size manufacturers provided by the Department of Energy’s Industrial Assessment Centers to include training and technical assistance on smart manufacturing technologies.
Smart manufacturing means smarter products, smarter factories and smarter production processes.
Notably, the definition of smart manufacturing technologies used in the bill includes digital product design and simulation, digital design and simulation of factory production lines, digitally connected supply chain networks and even digital design of factory buildings. In short, the bill recognizes that “smart,” energy-efficient manufacturing requires use of a broad range of technologies spanning the entire lifecycle of the product — from how you design a product, to how you make a product, to how you build and lay out your factories, to how you connect the supply chain.
This is the right approach for government policies aimed at fostering adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies — whether the goal is to make manufacturing more productive, more energy-efficient or to develop better products. It’s not just about what happens on the factory floor. It starts with use of digital tools to design and build more energy-efficient and productive factories and production lines. It includes digital tools to design better and more efficient products and simulate their performance — refining the product design on screen before using resources to produce it. It also includes digital fabrication tools like computer numerical controlled (CNC) machines and additive manufacturing (or 3D printing) to make prototypes and finished products. And it includes digitally connecting products so they can talk to each other and perform better when in use. Smart manufacturing means smarter products, smarter factories and smarter production processes. And smarter products, factories and processes consume less energy.
The smart manufacturing section in the Senate-passed energy legislation is a small part of a massive bill that has many controversial elements, particularly related to energy production. How these issues get resolved in upcoming discussions with the House of Representatives — which passed its own, different version of an energy bill several months ago — will ultimately determine whether the bill gets enacted into law. Whatever the outcome, it’s important that Congress keep looking at ways to foster adoption of a broad array of advanced manufacturing technologies, especially for SMEs. Congress has an important role to play in fostering a truly “smart” manufacturing sector
David Ohrenstein is Director and Senior Public Policy Counsel for Autodesk. He focuses on engaging with government officials on policies and initiatives to foster the benefits of digital design and manufacturing tools.
