We recently exhibited at the Advanced Manufacturing Expo in Grand Rapids, MI. In addition to making some great contacts, we saw some impressive next-generation enhancements to how manufacturing could look in the not too distant future. Some we’ve started to incorporate into customer solutions, and some we’re learning more about, as we see real opportunity for ourselves and our customers.
Our marketing person, being naturally inquisitive with a high need to understand, dug in and identified some of the key tech trends to watch for in the not too distant future. With so many cool advancements on the horizon, we’ll review them in two parts. Here we go!
2020 | Top Tech Trends for Manufacturing Part 1
1. Industry Wearables. Think Fitbit on steroids. The manufacturing sector will be rocking smart glasses and biometric sensors, giving workers quick access to work instructions and critical data, as well as allowing supervisors to monitor worker health. It’s all part of the “IIoP” – The Industrial Internet of People.
2. High School Geek Squads Are Cool! STEM kids and robotic geeks aren’t getting teased in the halls of high school anymore. In fact, they are being actively courted by companies that need the next generation of robotic builders, programmers and handlers. To find schools in your area that have robotic programs or are part of the National Robotics League, click here.
3. Cyber Security On The Floor. As more components in the manufacturing process are connected to the IoT, the opportunity for hackers and malware increases significantly. If you haven’t started to think about cyber security for your business, the time is now.
4. Exoskeletons = Super Powers. Imagine being able to lift something 4 to 10 times what you normally could! Now you can with an exoskeleton. These cool tech-suits give humans everything from simple support to minimize injuries in repetitive job functions to super powers. Very cool.
5. Augmented Reality for the Millennials and Twenty-Somethings. While it pains me as a writer of words, I understand that today’s worker doesn’t want to weed through pages of information to find the work instructions they need. Enter Augmented Reality for the factory floor, giving employers an engaging option for learning new skills, referencing critical information, and more. Your next training partner might not be human!
Technology is advancing generations about every nine months. No one can keep up with all of it, and we’re all learning as we go. We, at Orka Automation, feel fortunate to have such an inquisitive, smart, experienced roll-up-your-sleeves-and-figure-it-out team of employees, partners and collaborators who jump into to each project with a positive attitude and a need to deliver another successful solution to our customers. If any of these new trends sounds like just the right thing for your next project, contact us! We’d love to brainstorm and create the perfect solution for you and your business.
We hope you come back in October when we highlight the remaining five advancements that caught our eye! In the meantime, we’ll leave you with an inspirational quote from an aspirational man. Keep moving forward.
