🚀 Shaping the Future - Issue 21
We unveil the third reveal of the Advanced Engineering sessions scheduled for ATX West, set to unfold in Anaheim, California, from February 6-8, 2024.
🚨 The Industry 4.0 Club will be at ATX West
ATX West returns to Anaheim, California, on February 6-8, 2024, uniting the greatest minds in automation to advance manufacturing excellence. The Industry 4.0 Club will be hosting the Advanced Engineering panels.
Stay tuned over the next few weeks as we unveil the distinguished guests and topics to be featured at the conference. Don't miss out – registration is now open. Secure your spot to be part of this conference.
🧠 Transforming Manufacturing through Digital and Additive Technologies
During last week’s Fieside Chat, Deep Chohan discussed the future of additive manufacturing (AM) and its integration with AI, predictive maintenance, and Industry 4.0 tools. He emphasized the need for an additive mindset in design, challenging traditional manufacturing boundaries. The interview highlighted the evolving role of AM in various industries, including healthcare, automotive, and aerospace. Deep encouraged companies to embrace AM, citing its potential for efficiency, customization, and sustainability. He also shared insights on educating students about AM and fostering adaptability in the face of technological advancements.
You can listen to the conversation below or watch the show here.
📝 The Role of Technology in Digital Transformation
Technology serves as a pivotal enabler for process automation in digital transformation, driving efficiency and cost reduction. It encompasses tools like the internet, mobile tech, AI, and robotics. The process starts with digitization, advances to digitalization for seamless data sharing, and aims at digital transformation to disseminate business knowledge. In manufacturing, technology facilitates automation, enhancing production speed, efficiency, and system control. Various automation types, from fixed to intelligent, contribute to efficiency, cost reduction, and increased production capacity. Intelligent automation, with AI and machine learning, offers added benefits like improved decision-making. Process orchestration ensures seamless process flow across endpoints, aiding enterprises in achieving digital transformation goals.
📣 Preview of Upcoming Advanced Engineering Sessions at ATX West 2024
We unveil the third reveal of the Advanced Engineering sessions scheduled for ATX West, set to unfold in Anaheim, California, from February 6-8, 2024.
📌 Title: Information Modelling: The Foundation for a Good Smart Manufacturing Strategy
📝 Abstract: Information Modelling is a key component of Object Oriented Programming, which has been the backbone of software design for decades. However, vendor lock in has prevented the same evolution of technology in manufacturing. It is time to bring these concepts to the Manufacturing Industry, in order to get away from stove pipe architectures and pilot purgatory. To build systems designed to evolve and scale, we need a Smart Manufacturing Strategy rooted in established standards, collaboration, and technology reusability. Information modelling provides that foundation.
👤 Presenter: Olivia Morales, Solutions Architect, CESMII
✍️ Bio: Olivia Morales is a Solutions Architect on the CESMII Smart Manufacturing Technology Team. She works with manufacturers and technology providers on the Smart Manufacturing Innovation Platform by advising on architecture, development and implementation, and by expanding resources for developers. Olivia supports CESMII’s evolving DevOps practice by managing SMIP instances and overseeing projects to expand management and platform operations tools. Olivia has focused her career on Software Development for Manufacturing Systems and her knowledge of technology and manufacturing provide the foundation necessary to lead CESMII and its members towards a manufacturing landscape that is future proof, collaborative and rooted in standards. She leads and participates in industry joint working groups with a shared mission to create reusable information models. Previously, Olivia was with Rockwell Automation as a Senior Software Engineer and Scrum Master where she received a patent for her work on an innovative new product offering that delivered an industrial hardened AI directly to the automation control platform.
📚What we’ve read this week
2024 manufacturing industry outlook [Deloitte]
In 2023, the US manufacturing industry benefited from key legislation enacted in 2021 and 2022—the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). These laws prioritize infrastructure rebuilding, clean energy, and domestic semiconductor industry growth, aiming to boost job growth, workforce development, and equity. The IIJA, CHIPS, and IRA have driven substantial private sector investment across sectors like semiconductors, clean energy components, electric vehicles, and related materials.
5 Trends That Will Shape the Future of Manufacturing In 2024 [Gembah]
The manufacturing sector is undergoing significant transformations driven by technology and global dynamics. Despite challenges from the global pandemic, the industry is expected to grow at an annual rate of 3.57% until 2028. Key trends shaping manufacturing in 2024 include the rise of smart factories, predictive maintenance, and digital twin technology. Supply chain challenges are leading to reshoring, with companies bringing production closer to home. Labor shortages are prompting manufacturers to reskill workers and raise wages, while the industry is increasingly committed to achieving carbon neutrality. Embracing these trends requires visionary leadership to optimize operations, enhance efficiency, build resilience, and demonstrate a commitment to sustainability.
2023 Report Findings: Smart Manufacturing Provides Stability in Food & Beverage [PLEX]
The food and beverage industry's need to adapt to constant change due to factors like COVID-19 and government regulations. Emphasizing the urgency of digital manufacturing adoption, 78% of industry executives see smart manufacturing as crucial, with almost half already adopting it. Smart manufacturing offers holistic visibility, cost optimization, and real-time data analysis for increased productivity. The adoption of advanced smart manufacturing platforms helps companies navigate changes, ensuring stability and growth amid market transformation and supply chain disruptions, as indicated by surveys in The State of Smart Manufacturing: Consumer Packaged Goods Report.
AI 1.0 Is Already Accelerating Industry 4.0’s Innovation Pace [PYMNTS]
Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a crucial role in driving efficiencies in industry 4.0, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prateek Kathpal, the CEO of SymphonyAI Industrial, highlights that the maturity and cost-effectiveness of technologies like IoT, big data analytics, and AI are making them more reliable. Large language models (LLMs), especially those tailored for the industrial sector, are expected to accelerate digital transformations further. SymphonyAI has launched an industrial LLM solution to address challenges in supply chain optimization, demand forecasting, production efficiency, and predictive maintenance analytics. Despite the ease of understanding AI outputs, integrating AI solutions into existing tech stacks poses challenges, such as user adoption and data quality. Kathpal envisions a future where AI, IoT, and the metaverse converge to optimize industrial operations and enhance sustainability in manufacturing.
Workforce coalition focuses on manufacturing, tech job growth [Buffalo News]
The Buffalo Niagara region is tackling a shortage of skilled workers in manufacturing and technology through the Western New York Manufacturing and Tech Workforce Coalition. With $29 million in funding over three years, the coalition, led by the Northland Workforce Training Center, aims to connect trained workers with local employers. The manufacturing sector faces a "retirement cliff," while the tech sector is undersized. The initiative includes expanding training programs and collaborating with businesses to align training with industry needs. The three-year funding model allows the coalition to focus on talent development and demonstrate tangible results, contributing to the region's competitiveness and job growth.
🎤 Upcoming Events
👋 Get Involved
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💬 About Shaping the Future
Shaping the Future is Industry 4.0 Club’s official newsletter. We’ll be experiencing different formats over the coming weeks until we find the one that resonates the most with our members. You can help us improve by sharing feedback and suggestions. The newsletter will land in your inbox every Sunday morning; please subscribe to not miss anything and forward the email to someone you think would benefit from this.
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