Moving into 2024 with tempered optimism
I was able to witness how an electrician utilized AR to diagnose a problem in a cabinet and make the repair. The AR provided the electrician a step-by-step process and enabled them to get the cabinet back up and running in a very short amount of time. It was quite impressive. Immersive technology is also being used in other ways. Virtual Reality (VR) can be utilized for training employees in factory operations and maintenance skills. This helps to reduce time to competency and transfer a high level of skill, factory knowledge, and situational awareness. Reshoring Manufacturing Manufacturers continue to look to be more competitive while controlling quality and creating more sustainable processes. As a result, there is a trend in manufacturing reshoring to North America and Europe. The threat of intellectual property theft, geopolitical threats, and environmental destruction are also considerations for the move. To be competitive, manufacturers look to automation as a means to meet demand. The US recently passed the CHIPS Act. This is a long-term project to bring back semiconductor manufacturing and research to the US as means to protect national security and make the US more competitive in this space. But semiconductors
aren’t the only industry making the change. We see a shift in everything from pharmaceuticals to household appliances. This means more higher quality jobs in higher cost labor markets. To achieve a balance, automated processes are implemented to ensure production quotas are met while maintaining a higher quality product. Conclusion 2022 and 2023 have been difficult years. We see economic pressures such as high inflation, high energy prices, and a tattered supply chain. Looking ahead into 2024, there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel as we move toward normalcy once again. Industrial
automation is a rapidly evolving field that leverages various technologies to improve the efficiency, productivity, and quality of industrial processes. To recap, we will see continued efforts to move toward smart manufacturing, Increased adoption IoT enabled Asset Monitoring technologies, the use of AI in Digital Twin, Robotics, Immersive Technologies, and a concerted effort to reshore manufacturing. These trends indicate that industrial automation will continue to grow and innovate in 2024, driven by the convergence of IoT, edge computing, AI, ML, and 5G. These technologies will enable industrial companies to achieve higher levels of performance, efficiency, and competitiveness in the global market.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) The introduction of AI has really taken the entire world by storm. It’s all around us. It has now made its way into industrial automation. We are seeing it being utilized to program PLCs, Robotics, making accurate forecasts on production scheduling, and much more. Over the past couple of years, we have been seeing Digital Twin becoming more and more utilized across factory floors. Digital Twin gives the manufacturer the ability to accurately view their entire floor in a simulated environment. This provided the manufacturer to see how changes in programming, would affect real world production. This reduces design cycle time, testing, and improves outcome. Adding AI can enhance the accuracy and realism of digital twins by using computer vision, machine learning, and deep learning to analyze data from sensors, cameras, and other sources. AI can also generate realistic 3D models of physical objects and environments using generative adversarial networks (GANs) and other techniques. AI can enable digital twins to run simulations and scenarios to optimize performance, efficiency, and sustainability. AI can also help digital twins to learn from their own experiences and adapt to changing conditions. AI can also provide insights and recommendations based on the data and outcomes of the simulations.
pallets or removing trash. Cobots have been around for some time now. These are Robots designed to work in the presence of their human counterparts. They handle menial and even dangerous tasks to free up the human to work on more complicated tasks. Cobots are designed with an array of sensors to detect the presence of obstacles or workers. Utilizing laser scanners, the Cobot will reduce speed by predetermined zones to ensure the worker’s safety.
Robotics The next trend we will continue to see in 2024 and beyond are robotics. AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots), Cobots (Collaborative Robots), and AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) will all continue to grow in popularity. AMRs provide the ability to work around tight spaces where toxic chemicals, heavy machinery in manufacturing environments. Utilizing sensors, AI, and machine vision, the AMR s capable of navigating its surroundings accurately and completely independent of human control. AGVs are a fantastic solution for material handling in warehouses and distribution facilities. They move on pre-programmed paths through software programming and the use of sensors such as LiDAR. AGVs are designed to handle tasks such as moving
Immersive Technology
Another trend that is growing in popularity is Immersive Technology in industrial automation. The use of Augmented Reality (AR) to help workers throughout the manufacturing process and even in the MRO space. I personally attended an expo last year where
we get technical
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