In the US alone, the manufacturing sector rakes in $2.17 trillion of the economy, and contrary to popular belief, it has been on a steady rise by up to 27% since the year 2009.
Without a doubt, it’s safe to say that technology has had a huge transformative effect and has led to technological evolutions in various industries—the manufacturing industry being one of them.
The Growth of Technology in the Manufacturing Industry
Some of the notable technological changes and advancements that greatly affect the manufacturing industry are the development of artificial intelligence (AI) programs,which play a vital role in compiling huge amounts of information and data to aid in intelligent machine learning; as well as the internet of things, which helps elaborate how machines and objects use the internet to communicate.
Both the aforementioned technological advancements have played a vital role in improving inefficiencies within the manufacturing sector and they have been well-received throughout the industry.
It is expected that with the proliferation of the digital age there will be an increase in the use of robots in various manufacturing production lines, and there are concerns that this will result in an increase in the number of job cuts.
Despite that fact, technology will pave the way not only for businesses but also for various specialized manufacturers such as those offering conveyor machines and equipment.
A good example of a manufacturer that offers such equipment is Fluent Conveyors who can be accessed by visiting their site at fluentconveyors.com.
Ways in Which Technology Has Changed the Manufacturing Industry and Its Workforce
Increased Visibility
With the development of AI, manufacturing businesses can now be one step closer to manufacturing products that are perfect and defect-free.
This is because AI programs are able to showcase to manufacturers areas in their production lines that require advancement. This ultimately leads to reduced error rates and improved productivity and efficiency.
With the internet of things, it has also become possible for equipment and machines to effortlessly interact with each other and promptly resolve arising manufacturing problems in the production lines.
Refined Customer Engagement
AI and the internet of things are helping to rewrite the script in relation to how manufacturing personnel engage with their clients.
An improved customer service offering can aid in pacifying saddened customers through crafting clear, concise, and prompt communication in real-time between the customers and the manufacturing company.
The internet of things provides information and data to manufacturing workers regarding how a product, object, or piece of equipment should be operated, which empowers manufacturing staff with the ability to provide remote customer support to those customers who experience difficulty in using the purchased products.
Predictive Maintenance
The manufacturing sector often suffers from equipment and machine breakdown. This means that should your manufacturing company experience an unplanned period of downtime, you are at risk of losing resources, customers, and capital.
However, having an AI program helps to eradicate costly manufacturing interruptions, as it is able to continuously learn and evaluate how your manufacturing machines run by analyzing performance and equipment data.
This enables the AI to provide an accurate forecast of when you can expect malfunction issues that may arise in your production lines, therefore helping you to conduct timely maintenance.
