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Top Manufacturing Tech Trends of 2022

Now that 2023 is here, we’re looking back on 2022’s top tech trends in manufacturing. The NAM’s digital transformation arm, the Manufacturing Leadership Council, and its innovation management division, the Innovation Research Interchange, gave us an overview.

AI everywhere: From automatically responding to shifts in production demand to anticipating breakdowns in the supply chain, artificial intelligence showed up more than ever before throughout manufacturing operations.

  • More than two-thirds of manufacturers are either using AI now or will be doing so within two years, according to MLC research.
  • Current use cases include predicting needed maintenance for equipment, forecasting product demand and monitoring performance metrics such as productivity and efficiency. Future use cases could include fully autonomous factories that run continuously with minimal human intervention.

Training on demand: Training for technicians and frontline operators used to mean time in a classroom with a live instructor. In 2022, more manufacturers turned to virtual, on-demand learning tools that allowed workers the freedom to learn at their own pace.

  • This ran the gamut from video content libraries to immersive augmented reality/virtual reality experiences that guide and correct trainees.
  • In 2023 and beyond, this type of learning experience will be essential to attracting and retaining younger workers who are familiar with digital learning and want the latitude to gain new skills on their own schedules.

Digital twins: Manufacturers used digital twins—virtual models designed to reflect a physical object, system or process accurately—to create design prototypes and test their performance.

  • Digital twins will continue to allow for new levels of design optimization, improved product development and performance and significant waste reduction for manufacturers.

Read the full story here.

Want to learn more about what’s in store for the new year? Join the MLC for “What’s Ahead in 2023?”, a panel presentation and audience Q&A, on Jan. 10 at 11 a.m. ET. Watch it here
 

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