If you are lucky enough to be in any business involved in manufacturing and engineering at the moment, you must consider yourself to be at the cutting edge of human development. Most of the products we use and enjoy are required to be engineered at some point. The age of computer-aided design, high-speed internet, and outlandish production techniques has left manufacturing at the cusp of further development. It is thus essential that your business is always on the lookout for further blue oceans as tech continues to improve and develop.
The Type of Tech Developments Your Business Must Know
From the advanced computer-driven waterjet cutters that are some of the most precise as well as energy efficient forms for cutting and shaping materials of various strengths and hardness to simple 3D printers, they are all now likely to be driven by computer programmers rather than engineers.
Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing
It may sound like a bit of a science fiction movie to many serious engineers out there or to those who run modern manufacturing lines and factories, but the truth of the matter is that Artificial intelligence (AI) is a major part of any manufacturing today. Many authors argue that AI and the online connectivity of things (smart tools and machines) have forever changed manufacturing.
These businesses now can use these smart internet-enabled and connected tools and machines to track production and make improvements or changes in the process as required in real time. Very little human intervention is required except to install the correct program and collect the finished product.
Machine learning was the primary aspect of AI that has been used since the introduction of big data and machines/computers are used to improve systems and processes based on huge amounts of data on functionality and production and all from a central server.
Deep learning has been the process of taking making learning to the next level and neural networks are being used to develop nonlinear reasoning. This is what will enable self-driving cars and self-run manufacturing and production lines with the highest levels of safety and productivity ever seen in the sector.
It is however the artificial intelligence used to analyze huge amounts of production data to improve processes and systems that have been the biggest change in manufacturing and engineering. It is in these repetitive processes that machine learning can function and has proven itself in its element. Tracking core key performance indicators throughout the production and manufacturing process is one of the mainstays of such computer-aided manufacturing, providing the basis for further change and development.
The terms mentioned and briefly discussed in this article are those that will soon be commonplace in manufacturing and engineering circles. They are the future of the sector, and as the humble microchip or processor changes society, it will also have its effect on the world of engineering and manufacturing. Business must try to keep up with the times, or risk being left behind.
