5 Ways Technology is Transforming Manufacturing

The field of manufacturing has come a long way over the years. Each new year brings new technological advancements that can hugely increase efficiency, accuracy, and safety. There are plenty of technologies that are drastically transforming the landscape of modern manufacturing, and in this article, we will explore five of the most notable ones.

1. 3D Printing

3D printing is one of the most well-known technological advancements of the last decade, and it also has applications in commercial manufacturing. Producing prototypes of a new product often require expensive materials, components, and processes. 3D printing can reduce the overheads necessary for creating prototypes and save businesses valuable time due to its speed compared to traditional construction methods.

3D printing is often much less wasteful than other forms of manufacturing, as traditional processes like subtractive manufacturing—where excess material is removed, similar to how a sculpture is carved from marble—leave many waste products.

2. Indoor Mapping

Indoor mapping is the process of visually representing an indoor space, either via a simple 2D floor plan or a more complex system. The most advanced forms of indoor mapping include 3D computer-generated maps that can be interacted with in real-time!

Indoor mapping is beneficial for planning warehouse and factory space to be used most safely and effectively.

3. Robotics

When most of us think of robots, we think of sci-fi movies like RoboCop or Star Wars. In reality, robots have more down-to-earth functions (at least for the time being!), such as those in warehouses.

Factories and warehouses often use logistics automation solutions to carry out tasks like transporting goods and materials so that human workers do not have to. Of course, we are still a way off from a fully robot-controlled factory or warehouse.

4. Augmented Reality

Even if you are unfamiliar with the term “augmented reality”, you have most likely come across examples of it before. Filters on camera apps and social media apps like Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and Tik Tok are trendy.

Despite these being the most recognizable examples, augmented reality has plenty of practical uses in the industry too. For example, indoor mapping systems often incorporate augmented reality to provide visual markers for workers or robots to use when working. Hazards such as spillages or dangerous machinery can be marked out to enable them to be avoided and increase workplace safety, for example.

Combining indoor mapping, augmented reality, and robotics can be efficient for a modern manufacturing workplace.

5. Inventory Management

Inventory management is an essential part of manufacturing and logistics. Even with computerized stock databases such as those used by online stores, the quantity of items available still has to be ascertained by a worker before databases can be updated.

Knowing which items are in stock or which supplies are available and updating databases can be carried out by human workers but is increasingly being carried out by autonomous robots. This looks likely to continue.