Technology
Technology has become an integral part of the manufacturing industry, with more and more companies taking it on to improve the efficiency and smooth running of their businesses. As more and more places try to adapt to technological advances, it is clear that there has been a dramatic change in how the manufacturing industry now operates.
How does it work?
The manufacturing industry is changing, and much of that has to do with the fourth industrial revolution. Known more simply as Industry 4.0, it refers to the digital revolution that has transformed the manufacturing industry over the last few years. With automated machines now taking pride of place in many factories, technology is firmly entrenched in the production lines, with many of them using them as a way of streamlining their operations to make the whole process considerably quicker.
Many companies are now using automated systems to speed up their own production. Some of these methods are preferred as they are more reliable and more precise than relying on people to fulfill the role. This doesn’t mean that they are obsolete, though, as people are still required to oversee production as well as perform some of the tasks manually if the machines malfunction or if they’re required to perform a specialist job that requires all hands on deck. Sometimes this could still require manual tools, so it would be remiss not to have a plan B just in case of any eventuality. You can find some of these tools at hotairtools.com, where they can ensure that you have all the products you need. Whether it is manual or automated, they can help make sure you have all the required technology to ensure that your production line doesn’t miss a step.
Big companies have taken the plunge
Some of the larger companies have already taken this approach and embraced technology as it has helped them to reduce the waiting time for products. In what are known as smart factories, they rely almost entirely on automated machinery to run the entire factory. They rely on the spread of data across the shop floor to complete thorough analysis hoping that they can stay ahead of trends and reduce rollout times and engineering costs. Adidas had success in one such factory where they have now managed to reduce the time between design and rollout to under a week, whilst Amazon has now managed to completely overhaul their picking system. In order to meet their Prime Now delivery promises, they have implemented automated picking and packing systems and a constantly updated inventory list in order to stay up to do and continue to meet the demand. When you think of how many people were required just a few months ago, it is just mind-boggling.
Whilst it seems obvious, the success of these smart factories shows that technology is here to stay. While ever it is possible to run factories almost solely on machines, companies will continue to do so. People are still required, but they need to be multi-skilled in order to keep up. With technology constantly advancing, there is no telling how much further this can all go.
