Automation Within the Manufacturing Industry – What’s Next?

Over the years, the manufacturing industry has been revolutionised by automation. Enabling it to evolve at record speeds, automation has seen the workforce shift from making cars to servicing robots who make cars. So, what’s the net step in this evolution? Below, we’ll look at what’s next in terms of automation in the manufacturing industry.

Factories will become 100% automated

Factories have already become a lot more automated, from the actual manufacturing process to picking and packing – many tasks are now automated. However, work is currently being done to fully automate factories, making them 100% automated.

There are a lot of challenges which need to be overcome before this can happen however. For example, the automation will need to be flexible to allow for design changes and modifications.

CMMS

One piece of automation software that’s really proving useful within the manufacturing industry is CMMS. Otherwise known as Computerised Maintenance Management System, this software solution helps to support parts inventory, work orders, reports and preventative maintenance.

CMMS solutions like the one provided by Insight, can help to reduce breakdowns, reduce the amount of stock held, improve response times and reduce administration. They’re helping to make the manufacturing sector much more efficient, as well as helping businesses to save money.

The prevention of repairs and product recalls

Another potential future development of automation within manufacturing, is its connection to AI. Developments within AI have made it much more accessible and easier to use in combination with automation. So, in the future it’s likely the two technologies together could help to prevent repair costs and product recalls. This could essentially save businesses a small fortune.

Not only could AI help to alert workers to manufacturing failures, but it could also potentially correct them too. This would lead to more errors being recognised and rectified before they become a problem, drastically reducing costs and improving efficiency. Of course, the fact that it could also reduce product recalls will also do wonders for brand reputation. It would also save you in refund costs too.

Overall, there has already been a lot of impressive developments within automation in the manufacturing industry. However, as you can see from above, the future looks set to introduce more exciting and useful features into the industry. Automation is likely to become much more prevalent within the sector, helping to cut costs, boost efficiency and improve customer satisfaction.