Like all sectors, the manufacturing industry is in the middle of a technological revolution. Automation, big data, virtual reality – recent advances in information technology are helping manufacturers improve plant productivity, customer relationships and operating results. But everything continues to evolve so rapidly. Once one technology is integrated, the next hype is a revolutionary novelty. So at MySolutions, we thought, “It would be a nice gesture to shed some light on the situation and examine the supposed trends for 2020 for their true relevance. The start is made… by automation.
Automation reduces downtimeand improvesreliability
You may be a little surprised about our choice, because automation was already one of the trends for 2019, 2018 and 2017. Well, it’s actually a bit of an old hat by now. But in 2020 everything will be different, because then there will be really epic changes in this area. Most likely. So, in all probability. Oh, who are we trying to fool here? We don’t know exactly how all this is going to develop. Maybe in five years we won’t need any more human employees, maybe in ten years or it’ll be the other way around and the need for human labor will increase immeasurably after the machines have subdued humanity and let it work for them. So let’s move on to the next trend.
Intelligentuser interfacesenable new interaction patternsand functions
Intelligent interfaces bring humans and machines closer together. They combine state-of-the-art technologies such as computer-aided image processing, speech output, auditory analysis and advanced augmented reality and virtual reality. Together, these techniques and capabilities can fundamentally change the way we deal with machines, data and each other. For manufacturing companies, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) supported interfaces can help employees learn quickly and get used to new tasks, leading to higher productivity. AR- and VR-supported interfaces can help designers to design, develop and produce products faster. If you are wondering why designers in particular should benefit from the trends of 2020, because they will soon all be replaced by AI systems anyway, unfortunately we have to disappoint you. It’s not that far – not yet. In the field of artificial intelligence, however, some exciting innovations await us.
Strive to be a pioneer in the field of AI
Leading companies are already using the full potential of artificial intelligence (AI) for data-driven decision-making, generating valuable insights. However, the AI trends for 2020 are increasingly revolving around the areas of maintenance and repair. By integrating intelligent sensors into machines, artificial intelligence enables fault monitoring and problem prediction in real time. Identifying potential causes of faults before a total failure reduces downtime and maintenance costs. Repairs also become more cost-effective and require less time. Artificial intelligence helps ensure that production schedules remain on time and that unavoidable mechanical problems have as little impact as possible.
The big picture
Technology is changing the manufacturing industry in many ways. Strategic IT investments in software and hardware are therefore essential for healthy growth. Bringing together different approaches and systems in different business areas – even if it is difficult – enables the greatest returns in an increasingly competitive global market. By 2020, manufacturing will look largely the same as it does today, as the major changes in the industry will appear subtle. But the bottom line is that more and more systems are converging in a single network to create on-demand manufacturing. MySolutions is here to help you identify the technological innovations that will best serve you and your business. Give us a call or send an email to learn more about emerging trends in manufacturing software.