How Technology Is Reshaping the Manufacturing Industry

We know how technology is affecting and even changing our lives in different ways. Technology itself is advancing at an incredible rate, amplifying its effects on different parts of our lives even more. We only need to look at how we are now glued to our mobile devices and computers to see how far we’ve come.

Technology is also reshaping the business sector. We’ve already talked about how digital marketing and ecommerce are affecting local businesses. In this article, we are going to take a closer look at the impact technology has in the manufacturing sector.

Rapid Prototyping with 3D Printing

Have you noticed how companies can release new products faster than ever? This shorter product cycle is thanks to the technologies around rapid prototyping. The process of developing a new product idea, making fine adjustments to the concept itself, and producing the initial prototype can now be done faster than ever.

One of the technologies helping in this respect is 3D printing. Consumer 3D printers are already fascinating. The 3D printers designed for businesses, especially the manufacturing sector, are even more incredible.

Rather than using ABS plastic, industrial 3D printers can print prototypes using metal. For more complex applications, a compound made from acrylic is used. There are even 3D printers that can print synthetic marble and ceramic if added strength is needed. With these 3D printers and materials, moving parts and complex designs can be produced without assembly.

Robotics and Automation

Another interesting technology that is heavily affecting the manufacturing industry is robotics. Robots are not only getting smarter and more capable, but they are also becoming more independent thanks to the introduction of Artificial Intelligence, or AI.

Specialists can now ‘teach’ factory robots how to do their job as well as how to deal with manufacturing variances. The robots will then do most of the hard work from there. The use of AI allows more efficient automation, something that businesses are now counting on.

There are gadgets to support this implementation too. Daisy Data, a leading company in rugged computer hardware, now has a wide range of products for use in demanding situations, including in factory lines. The company’s line of industrial monitors and rugged displays is particularly interesting.

Better Planning

The rapid development of technology supporting the manufacturing industry doesn’t only happen in the hardware department. There is a lot of new and capable software to support the manufacturing industry too. Better software leads to better planning, improved management and monitoring, and enhanced controls.

Rather than waiting for an entire manufacturing cycle to finish, companies with complex manufacturing lines can monitor every part of the process in real-time. Even better, they can automate the planning and monitoring processes and achieve greater efficiency in return.

So, what do these technologies mean to us customers? Well, better manufacturing processes mean higher quality products at lower prices. These technologies, in an indirect way, affect our lives too. It won’t be long before products that are now difficult and expensive to make become more and more affordable thanks to extremely efficient future factories.