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Bold Steps Needed in Manufacturing to Keep Up With Trends

manufacturing trends

In 2016, the manufacturing community demonstrated its enormous potential for innovation and growth. Thanks to technology, we could increase output, speed up processes, and make our companies more attractive to potential clientele. Manufacturing is viewed by some as a fading industry. However, the reality is that it is a changing and adapting organism. The companies that have survived have done so because of their ability to keep up with the tide of information and technology. Here are some of the trends predicted to grow throughout 2017 and the following years.

Reduce the offshoring

Nearshoring and newshoring are becoming an important trend that challenges conventional ideas of making profits. In the past, manufacturing demanded offshoring to secure cost-effective production with quality product-making. In contrast, more manufacturers are looking close to home or even starting at home. This is a result of a long-term analysis of the industry. Going overseas allows means a higher risk of product replication. Getting your idea stolen is never a desirable outcome. In addition, these knock-offs tend to be lower quality and damage the market. Plus, keeping production close to home reduces lead times. Newshoring, or starting your manufacturing from scratch at home, can also be considered a good alternative for small business manufacturers.

Product and Service Packages

Most product manufacturers have recently started to add service as a part of their product package. This is something that we already generally see in the auto industry; authorized dealerships handle any local service required. These service bundles are now extending to other products. Installation or upgrade packages are included by the manufacturer. Including services like maintenance in your post-production package might not actually be a bad idea when it comes innovating your product and making it more attractive to clients.

Robotics and Cobotics

The use of robotics and “cobotics” (cooperation between human and a robot to complete tasks) is nothing new to the United States. The automation of processes has reached new heights recently with new monitoring and automated repair systems. Machinery can locate any sort of total failure occurrence in production prior to any incidence, including diagnosis of potential issues, and in some cases, repair the problem. Alerts are also automatic for cases when a repair is outside of a capability range. The advantages of these are immense, and their integration into the manufacturing industry could revolutionize any company.

Increases in 3-D Printing

The outcomes of 3D printing are strong. You could benefit from this technology by adding it to your small batch production or prototyping process. Additive manufacturing has become an incredibly necessary part of the manufacturing process that increases the productivity of your development time. This trend is expected to continue to grow rapidly.

Faster, Faster, Faster

Amazon has taken advantage of drone technologies by integrating “same-day delivery” into their industry. This inevitably leads to a complete revolutionizing of the operations and logistics of any manufacturing company. Production manufacturers will be forced to find new methods to adapt to these changes. Providing the same quality product in a quicker, more accessible way will be a new challenge for all manufacturers.

The challenges that have emerged in 2017 for the manufacturing industry are not easy to overcome. Innovative trends will make it easier to change accordingly. Try to keep ahead of the game by staying flexible and adaptable.

The Cleveland Deburring Machine Company (CDMC) provides a strong example for other manufacturers in the industry. Located in northeast Ohio, CDMC is dedicated to providing deburring solutions for gears, sprockets, aerospace and defense, power transmission, powdered metals, fluid power and custom deburring applications. CDMC’s no-charge application evaluation includes a detailed report and process description in as little as 3 to 5 business days. Contact CDMC today for a deburring machine that’s right for you.

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