The Growing Use of Technology in Manufacturing

Ad Blocker Detected

Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.

Advancements in technology like industrial computer vision are quickly changing the landscape of virtually every industry, especially that of manufacturing. We now have technology like additive manufacturing, computerized maintenance systems, digital twins, automation integration and artificial intelligence, all making the manufacturing process easier, if used correctly. Industrial equipment needs to be well-calibrated and set up correctly in order to secure maximum efficiency, for example.

For example, digital twins harness IoT technology and are another way that manufacturers can optimize performance and reduce their costs. A digital twin, as the name implies, is a virtual representation of an actual object that receives data in real time from the object. This data allows you to virtually monitor, say, a piece of manufacturing equipment or an entire production line. Digital twins are being used increasingly to predict maintenance schedules and possible repairs as well as to experiment with changes to a line and review what the impact may be. To know more about digital twin technology, click here.

This goes hand-in-hand with artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence, or AI, is being used in a variety of ways, including detecting whether employees are wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), such as masks and gloves from places like unigloves.co.uk, as well as for predictive maintenance. Predictive maintenance is a proactive approach. It takes a more real-time, data-driven approach to identifying the potential for issues very early on. Predictive maintenance with the help of AI, takes measurements from machine operations as they are occurring and uses this data to raise red flags when indications of a problem are noted. Unplanned downtime and reactive maintenance are productivity destroyers for your facility, yet almost all maintenance is, by necessity, reactive. Predictive maintenance practices, however, can change that situation, making it even easier for you to be proactive and to make more informed decisions about what inventory to keep on hand. Data sensors and monitors can help you understand which equipment is more likely to need maintenance or replacement parts in the nearer future, making ordering decisions less of a guessing game and more of a data-backed methodology.

The accompanying resource describes some of the other innovative ways that the manufacturing industry is relying on these advances.