🚀 Shaping the Future - Issue 50

The landscape of Industry 4.0 is buzzing with innovation as more than 600 active startups are driving the fourth industrial revolution.

🍁Happy Canada Day!🍁

Happy Canada Day to all our Canadian members! May this day be filled with joy, pride, and celebration as you honor the rich heritage and values of your beautiful country.

🧠 Industry 4.0 Technology Landscape

The landscape of Industry 4.0 is buzzing with innovation as more than 600 active startups are driving the fourth industrial revolution. These startups are at the forefront of technological advancements, developing cutting-edge solutions in areas such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things.

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📚What we’ve read this week

Are Manufacturing Jobs Really That Good? [Economist]

The debate over the value of manufacturing jobs as "good" jobs that can uplift workers and the economy is ongoing, with politicians like Joe Biden promoting them through subsidies, and Donald Trump through tariffs. However, skepticism remains, as historical evidence and modern data show that the quality of manufacturing jobs is not inherently superior to service sector jobs, challenging the narrative of their economic and job security benefits. Policymakers and companies should focus on ensuring decent work standards across industries rather than romanticizing manufacturing jobs.

Zebra 2024 Manufacturing Vision Survey

The annual study showed that 61% of manufacturers expect AI to drive growth by 2029, up from 41% in 2024. This surge in AI adoption, combined with 92% of survey respondents prioritizing digital transformation, underscores manufacturers’ intent to improve data management and leverage new technologies that enhance visibility and quality throughout the manufacturing process. Some other highlights include:

• Nearly six in 10 manufacturing leaders expect to increase visibility across production and throughout the supply chain by 2029

• 86% of manufacturing leaders agree they are struggling to keep up with the pace of technological innovation and to securely integrate devices, sensors, and technologies throughout their facilities and supply chain.

• Nearly three-quarters (73%) of manufacturing leaders plan to reskill labor to enhance data and technology usage skills, and seven in 10 expect to augment workers with mobility-enabling technology.

• The technology tools being implemented by manufacturing leaders include tablets (51%), mobile computers (55%), and workforce management software (56%). In addition, 61% of manufacturing leaders plan to leverage wearable mobile computers to augment their evolving workforce.

• Global manufacturing leaders say today’s most significant quality management issues are real-time visibility (33%), keeping up with new standards and regulations (29%), integrating data (27%), and maintaining traceability (27%).

”Dry Manufacturing” for Better Batteries [Clean Technica]

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Navitas Systems have partnered to develop a new dry processing method for applying lithium to electrodes in electric vehicle (EV) batteries. This approach eliminates the need for toxic solvents used in the conventional slurry-based method, potentially reducing health and environmental risks. The dry processing method is known for its space, time, and energy-saving advantages, potentially saving millions of dollars in gigascale EV battery factory costs and improved waste disposal efficiency. The current phase of the research involves analyzing dry-processed electrodes manufactured by Navitas. The dry processing method enables manufacturers to pack more active materials into the electrode, potentially enhancing loading performance. However, the thickness of the electrode might pose limitations on power, and the research team aims to develop or identify a better binder for the lithium powder to address this issue.

How Off-the-Shelf Tech Can Make Factories More Profitable [HBR]

55% of companies with revenues under $500 million a year said technological change is happening too fast for them to keep up; just 24% of larger companies said the same. However, mid-sized manufacturers can implement smart factory solutions more affordably and quickly than previously thought. Today many manufacturers underutilize readily available data, such as labor hours, which can be analyzed to improve efficiency. For example, a commercial bakery realized $1.5 million in annual savings, which increased EBITDA by 4.8%, through targeted smart factory solutions centered on three business issues. The company installed digital scales and sensors on the existing manufacturing line, to catch waste and reduce scrap by 25%. A homemade labor visibility and utilization dashboard provided a real-time view of labor to track behavior reducing overtime by 50%. Finally, by installing IoT sensors and connecting data feed with existing systems to monitor utility consumption, annual utility spending was cut by 5% because, among other things, it revealed when the equipment was being run unnecessarily.

How Heat Batteries Promise a Cleaner Future in Industrial Manufacturing [MIT]

Antora Energy, a California-based startup, announced plans to open a large-scale manufacturing facility in San Jose to produce modular heat batteries for industrial decarbonization. Industrial heat from fossil fuels contributes to 20% of global emissions. Thermal batteries use renewable energy to heat materials like solid carbon blocks, which store the heat until needed for manufacturing. The heat-battery industry is in its early stages but is seeing growing interest. Companies like Rondo Energy are also expanding their heat battery production, while German firm Kraftblock collaborates with companies like Pepsi to use heat batteries instead of gas-fired boilers.

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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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