The factory of the future — trends that will shape the traditional assembly line
Join us at the third SingularityU Germany Summit conference in June 2018 and learn more about the future of manufacturing.
The factory of today is getting a do over, thanks to new technologies that help to make manufacturing more efficient, flexible and connected. If manufacturers want to remain competitive in the future, they need to be proactive in their investments in and strategic use of technology.
Here are five examples of how new technologies will shape the future of manufacturing.
Robots are on the rise
With automation already taking over human jobs what will the future of work look like in the near future? Why continue to employ humans when you can use a machine that is a lot more accurate and works 24/7 without insurance, holidays and regulated working hours. Amazon just to name one of the top players in the field of automated logistics heavily uses technology and robots to secure fast delivery and excellent customer service.
Although one of the biggest concerns today is that humans will loose their jobs, new fields of jobs will be created by using machines. Additionally a great part of the jobs that will be taken over by machines are the ones that are considered unsafe or not manageable for humans. Robots — at least for the nearer future — can be seen as a complement and not as a replacement for human workers.
Just one Machine making it all possible — 3D Printer
Did you ever think it was possible to use a single machine to create seamless and tangible products? So far if you wanted to build a certain type of product you needed different pieces that in the end you had to weld or screw together. With a 3D Printer creating product prototypes and realizing complex designs can be done by just this single machine — reducing costs, complexity and valuable time.
Cutting down costs with Augmented reality
Imagine the following situation: One of your machines isn’t working anymore and the engineer in the factory is not able to fix it. The solution? Using augmented reality for remote assistance, connecting different people from around the world in a live-view to help solve the problem together.
Apart from utilizing a live view augmented reality allows companies to virtually create and test situations before they are actually tested in the real world. Simulating the product-creation phase helps cut down on manufacturing time and ensure the manufacturing process delivers what companies intended to create.
Connected devices and the Internet of things
Apart from AI and Robots, the future of manufacturing will be shaped by advancements in cloud computing and smart sensors. Converting data into different units of measurement, communicating with other machines, recording statistics and feedback and shutting off devices if a safety or performance issue arises are just some of many things that can be done with connected devices. With the help of IoT production quotas can be controlled and analyzed and maintenance can be predicted.
Cloud computing enables companies to extract and analyze information that affects the production line.
All of the above mentioned will have a great impact on cutting down costs, catering a lot more to what the individual consumer needs and most importantly play a great role into making R&D cheaper and more cost-efficient therefore driving innovation.
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Andre Wegner is founder and CEO of Authentise. Andre is a frequent speaker on emerging intellectual property issues in 3D Printing and opportunities of distributed manufacturing at events such as Singularity University, Rapid, Designer of Things, Inside 3D Printing, 3D Print Show, Pacific Crest & WIRED. He has been quoted in publications such as BBC News, MIT Tech Review, Chicago Tribune, and Bloomberg. He is an expert in greenfield value chain creation, leading the development of a $300m low income gas distribution business for West Africa’s leading Oil and Gas company. He will be speaking about the future of manufacturing at the Summit on June 4 & 5 in Berlin!
