🚀 Shaping the Future - Issue 35
Returning to Greenville, SC, for the third year, the MX.0 Southeast event brings regional manufacturers together, equipping them with the necessary network to bring industry 4.0 to life.
🚨3rd Annual MX.0 Southeast
Returning to Greenville, SC, for the third year, the MX.0 Southeast event brings regional manufacturers together, equipping them with the necessary lessons and network to take the steps from Industry 3.0 to 4.0, and beyond. The M(anufacturing) X.0 agenda hosts national and regional manufacturers on stage who share practical, tried, and tested examples of ‘how to do’ digital transformation.
2024’s agenda brings case studies in change management, applying AI and Mixed Reality, rolling out Digital Twins, planning and scaling systems and processes, Cobots and Robots, tackling workforce problems, real-time data analytics, and much more.
🧠 News & Brews - The Industry 4.0 Club
Last week’s Fireside Chat discussed the risks associated with using generative AI, particularly ChatGPT, in enterprises. The conversation highlighted concerns such as data privacy, intellectual property protection, and security vulnerabilities.
You can watch the conversation below.
👩🏭Bringing the Circular Economy to Reality
Last week’s Women in Manufacturing was all about the importance of setting actionable sustainability goals and delved into various aspects of the circular economy, including repair, recovery, and regeneration. The manufacturing sector needs to turn sustainability goals into actionable initiatives to achieve its net-zero targets
You can watch the conversation below.
📚What we’ve read this week
Voice of the Essential Manufacturing Worker [Epicor]
Some Key Findings from the Report:
Compared to last year’s results, Epicor found that fewer respondents (52% to 64%) believe their jobs will be replaced by automation.
83% of employees who had the opportunity to use new tools or technologies said they worked more efficiently as a result
70% of companies are actively pursuing training initiatives and making upskilling a priority. That’s a 10-point slip from last year’s findings.
55% of workers express a preference for more sustainable working conditions, though only 45% believe their companies prioritize this adequately.
43% of workers are considering leaving their jobs within a year, with only 45% of workers citing high morale, a decrease from 52% last year
State of Manufacturing & Maintenance [Limble]
Some Key Findings from the Report:
91% of manufacturing professionals said they are shoring up their data collection and analysis capabilities
51% of respondents chose excessive downtime, aging infrastructure, or workforce issues as one of their top three current challenges
78% of respondents say they are supporting preventive maintenance initiatives
55% of respondents said that they are focusing on recruitment and retention
Manufacturers are addressing the issue of aging infrastructure are proactive maintenance (72%) and investing in new equipment (69%)
69% of manufacturing and facility maintenance professionals said they are focused on diversifying suppliers to address challenges within their supply chain.
First Electric Cars. Next, Electric Factories? [Economist]
The International Energy Agency (IEA) notes that industry consumes a third of global energy, predominantly from fossil fuels, making it a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. McKinsey predicts that 44% of Europe's decarbonization by 2050 could come from electrification, outpacing hydrogen and CCS. There are many examples where this is already underway. BASF is part of a consortium, including SABIC and Linde, working on an electric furnace for chemical reactions. Similar initiatives are seen in other sectors: Rio Tinto and BHP are developing Australia's first electric smelter for iron ore, Fortescue is introducing electric mining equipment, and Spain’s Roca Group has developed an electric industrial tunnel kiln for ceramics. These moves signify a shift from traditional carbon capture and storage (CCS) and hydrogen-based solutions to electrification. For temperatures up to 200°C, industrial heat pumps are gaining attention. AtmosZero, for example, is replacing a gas-fired boiler in New Belgium. Higher temperature processes require different technologies, like Rondo Energy’s thermal storage using heated bricks, which can store and release heat efficiently. Finally, electrification also extends to steelmaking and cement production, traditionally high-emission industries. Electra is developing a fire-free furnace for iron production, while Sublime Systems has created a low-emission method for producing cement using electrolysis.
Plans to Expand U.S. Chip Manufacturing Are Running Into Obstacles [NY Times]
In December 2022, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) announced a plan to invest $40 billion in Arizona for its first major U.S. semiconductor production hub. However, TSMC faced delays, pushing back the start of manufacturing at the first factory to 2025 and the second to 2027 or 2028 due to local worker expertise issues and uncertainties about technology choices and federal funding. This isn’t just limited to TSMC, and similar challenges have affected other chipmakers like Intel and Microchip Technology, complicated by a sales slump in the semiconductor industry. This is another indictment of the CHIPS Act, which aims to stimulate U.S. chip production and manufacturing through grants and tax credits. Though more than 600 companies have expressed interest in the subsidies, the lack of structure with the regulation and slump in demand has forced most of these companies to postpone or scale back expansion plans.
2024 State of Manufacturing Address [NAM]
🎤 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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