The latest research findings published by Infor and Make UK show that the manufacturing sector in UK has taken significant steps in embracing advanced technologies. According to the report on PES Media, 80% of UK manufacturers are confident that Industry 4.0 will be a reality by 2025. The adoption of digital technologies in manufacturing is crucial for boosting productivity, efficiency, and promoting quality.
Through innovations, manufacturers can satisfy customer needs, find effective solutions to industry challenges, reduce waste and downtime, and gain a competitive edge in the market.
So, what tech advancements are manufacturers investing in? Keep reading to learn more about innovations revolutionizing the manufacturing industry and how to select manufacturing tools with high-tech features.
Robotics Or Cobots
Robots aren’t new concepts in manufacturing, but with automation evolving faster, new technologies are emerging. Like with other advanced technologies, robotics provide many benefits in manufacturing plants, from increased efficiency to minimal downtime, and enhanced safety.
Unlike humans, robots or cobots can work in hazardous conditions and still deliver high-quality products. Since robots guarantee constant accuracy, manufacturers enjoy reduced errors and higher profitability.
There’s a wide range of robotics for manufacturing processes, like exoskeletons, collaborative and stand-alone robots, and AGV (autonomous guided vehicles). All these robots provide manufacturers with adaptability, improved perception, mobility, and integrability.
High-tech robotics boost the flexibility of automated processes paving the way for mass-customization of products.
Smart Conveyors
With technology growing quickly across all sectors, businesses are expected to invest more in smart conveyors.
As the name suggests, innovative conveyors use precision motion and other advanced technologies to optimize and enhance industries. Some ways advanced conveyors improve the manufacturing industry include increasing productivity, efficiency, and fast growth.
These conveyors are also easy to maintain because they rely on IoT (Internet of Things) sensors that supercharge preventive maintenance functionality. This means you can identify and fix potential faults in conveyor rollers before they even occur.
Now that you’re aware of how smart conveyors function, choosing the right one for your manufacturing factory shouldn’t be difficult. When selecting roller conveyors from the options available, make sure you understand the type of roller conveyor you need.
You can purchase motorised roller conveyors, belt under rollers, powered roller conveyors, and gravity roller conveyors. Also, consider smart features like belt speed, high-speed connectivity, precision movement, product control and flow, and multiple product packaging.
3D Printing (Additive Manufacturing)
Additive manufacturing or 3D printing is an innovation the industrial sector shouldn’t overlook. This tech advancement is specific to manufacturing, as it enables manufacturers to assemble products or parts using CAD (computer-aided design) software.
This method entails adding layers of materials in precise geometrical shapes.
There are many reasons manufacturers should embrace additive manufacturing. 3D printing promotes sustainability because producing products by adding layers of materials as required reduces waste.
This innovation also guarantees design quality, cost savings, and manufacturing quality. Typically, additive manufacturing allows manufacturers to produce more parts using small amounts of material and the production time is faster, boosting the marketing timeframe.
Tech innovations are transforming businesses across all sectors of the economy, and manufacturing isn’t an exception. Today, manufacturers are investing highly in technologies like robots, 3D printing or additive manufacturing, and smart conveyors.
All these innovations aim to reduce downtime, increase efficiency, and boost productivity. Other manufacturing innovations you should consider include IoT sensors, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and augmented reality.