For most of us, manufacturing happens behind closed doors on the factory floor, but that doesn’t mean fast innovation isn’t taking place. On the contrary, manufacturing is one of the key areas of innovation as businesses strive to use more technology to enhance products at lower costs.
Smart Factories
As with smart homes, smart factories are taking th world by storm. In a smart home, everything is integrated and automated, and the technology used is advancing all the time. Similarly, on the factory floor, all the latest technologies are used together to increase production times overall.
Technologies such as augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and the internet of things are used to connect design to the production of products. Smart factories are proving to be incredibly fast and cheaper than older models. They can also produce more optimal results.
Embedded Metrology
Embedded meteorology is the process of testing machine parts in the production line, increasing the viability of parts and reducing the risk of faults. In the past, machine parts had to be individually tested; if one part passed, the entire batch was validated, but that’s not efficient.
Instead, embedded metrology test parts to a high degree while they are being made; each individual part is tested and verified, so the risk of faults is lower. This technology enhances the production process and reduces costs. It also increases the reliability of the final product.
Fast 3D Printing
3D printing has been around for some time now, but it hasn’t fully taken off in the manufacturing sector; the reason is the cost. Although 3D printing is fast and produces excellent results, it’s still more expensive than conventional factory manufacturing. That’s until fast 3D printing came in.
Fast 3D printing uses an ultrafast inkjet head that layers material quickly; it also has a thermal devive to dry the material. The combination of these two faster processes produces 3D printed parts 100 times as quickly as conventional processes. Additionally, this method is also cheaper.
Steady Rest Technology
Businesses that use machined parts, such as the automotive industry, the aerospace industry, the manufacturing industry, and other heavy industries, need tooled products that are reliable and high-quality. But sometimes, this isn’t the case, especially when parts are mass-produced.
Stead rest technology is an innovative solution. This approach narrows the angle on many of the awkward places of machined parts and makes minor adjustments to improve its strength and reliability. In a short time, Steady Rest Technology has become indispensable in the factory.
Light-Based Technology
While on the subject of micro-manufacturing processes, it’s worth taking a look at light-based technologies. These technologies are overtaking conventional robotic arms in the manufacture of small component parts like computer chips for smartphones. It’s innovative and precise.
The trouble is that component parts such as computer chips continue to shrink and are fast becoming too nano for the cumbersome robots. Now, special light can be used to manipulate tiny materials inside a liquid to create smaller parts at a lower cost. The perfect combination.
