The Next Step In Manufacturing

Today, the most precious resource in the manufacturing industry isn't steel, coal or electricity; it's data. Companies are beginning their journey of industry 4.0 manufacturing, the latest industrial revolution driven by artificial intelligence and massive connectivity.

- Martin Cotter

IN THIS NEW AGE, DATA GENERATED BY sensors and digital systems allow businesses to monitor processes taking place in the physical world, laying the foundation for more flexible modes of production-an approach increasingly required by changing consumer demands.

With economic, geopolitical, environmental, and population issues and crises rippling across the globe, industrial labour supply and supply chains are being impacted like never before. The COVID-19 pandemic, is shining a light on this need for advanced technology, real-time data, and flexible manufacturing and supply chains.

With increased automation and robots taking on repetitive, dangerous work, manufacturers can augment human labour and ensure the continuity of production. This frees up workers to leverage their cognitive brain power and enables re-shoring of previously offshored automated and repetitive work.

More localised supply chains can also add new flexibility to manufacturing, with the added benefit of reduced environmental impact from lower transportation complexity. Finally, with reliable and real-time data and easily reconfigurable systems, manufacturers can make decisions quickly such as scheduling maintenance, adjust a machine setting, or pivot from making shirts to face masks.

While some elements of the next industrial revolution remain aspirational - like fleets of autonomous robots cooperating on advanced tasks like construction, recovery and rescue, others are already being realized.