What kind of dreams did you have when you were young? Did you think about the future and what kinds of things you’d see in your lifetime? Did you envision flying cars and robot butlers?
Of course, today’s automobiles are still firmly grounded, although many of them are now electric. We do have wandering robots that can vacuum the floors, but they’re a ways away from delivering a martini to you while you relax after a long day of work.
Are there other dreams you’ve had for the future that have not yet come to pass? Now close your eyes and think about what manufacturing will look like a decade from now. Can you picture it? How does the factory floor of the future compare to today? What changes do you see taking place?
In this article, we’ll examine the predictions that have resulted from just such an exercise conducted by the National Association of Manufacturers’ (NAM) Manufacturing Leadership Council (MLC). We’ll also highlight Amatrol’s new VR Smart Factory software that’s designed to give users experience with a digital twin of its popular mechatronics system.
Manufacturing in 2030
What will manufacturing look like in 2030? That’s the question NAM’s MLC asked, and now we have the answers in the form of the MLC’s Manufacturing in 2030 White Paper: The Next Phase of Digital Evolution (“MLC White Paper”).
In early 2021, the MLC “launched its Manufacturing in 2030 Project. The project’s main goal is to enable manufacturers to envision what manufacturing might look like by the year 2030.” This was not an easy task, as it “entails understanding the direction and velocity of technological trends associated with Manufacturing 4.0, the industry’s transition to the digital model of manufacturing. Perhaps most importantly, it entails identifying and understanding the challenges that all will face as the industry moves to the next stage of Manufacturing 4.0.”
Looking into a crystal ball to determine what the next decade holds for manufacturing is particularly daunting when you consider the changes that have taken place since 2010. As the MLC White Paper notes, “[m]any of today’s factories are almost unrecognizable compared to just 10 years ago. Today they are extensively automated, pervasively networked, constantly monitored and analyzed, flooded with data, and staffed by a workforce increasingly empowered by new digital tools.”
With so many advanced automation technologies already improving productivity and efficiency in manufacturing facilities across the country and around the globe, is there room for even greater technological strides? The MLC White Paper concludes that we haven’t seen anything yet.
Technology Advances Will Continue to Fuel Automation Adoption
The MLC White Paper doesn’t mince words when it summarizes the expected continuing impact of evolving technologies on the future of manufacturing: “Certainly, predicted developments in some of the key technologies underpinning the accelerating industrial digitization trend offer vast opportunities for both existing and new manufacturers to achieve greater efficiency, productivity, and increase global competitive differentiation over the coming decade.”
For example, one of the evolving technologies the MLC White Paper highlights is the use of virtual reality (VR) and digital twins in manufacturing: “Manufacturers can create digital replicas of production lines, supply chains, warehouse and transportation networks, and just about any product or process through a digital twin.”
Researchers note that “[d]igital twins can speed up product development, improve sustainability, and allow for real-time operations data to optimize performance. But in addition to digital twins, many manufacturers are finding the benefits of AR [augmented reality] and VR for applications like worker training, equipment troubleshooting, safety, quality, field service, and collaborating with workers at other sites or with partners and vendors.”
So how prevalent is the use of VR and digital twins in manufacturing today? “MLC research indicates 56% of manufacturers say they’ve already invested in digital twin technologies or will soon.” Moreover, “MLC research already predicts a rapid increase in the industry’s adoption of digital twins and virtual, mixed, and augmented technologies over the next few years. This trend will prepare those manufacturing companies with the advanced technical foundations, experience, and collaborative skills they will need to make this virtual future effective.”
New Technologies Will Create New Jobs & Require New Skills
Realizing the benefits of these new technologies will require investments in a variety of areas, including equipment, software, and training human resources. The MLC White Paper notes that
“[n]ew skills and roles will be needed to apply, operate, manage, and benefit from these new tools.”
Indeed, all of these technologies will need highly skilled workers to operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair them. That means a variety of new roles will need to be filled in addition to the many open positions already available in manufacturing.
According to the MLC White Paper, “up to 65% of the job roles that will exist in 2030 don’t yet exist today. As alarming as that sounds, consider that 63% of jobs done in 2018 did not exist in 1940, according to the U.S. census. Many new manufacturing jobs will merely be an evolution of those that exist today – augmented by connected machines, AI, and advanced analytics.”
This may be concerning for some manufacturers who view finding highly-skilled employees as a challenge. Fortunately, the training experts at Amatrol are ahead of the curve on developing training systems to teach students and current workers the advanced automation skills they’ll need to succeed in the future manufacturing workspace.
Amatrol’s VR Smart Factory Software Takes Training to the Next Level
If you’re an educator looking to adequately train the next generation of manufacturing technicians or an employer needing to upskill your current workforce, you don’t have to recreate the wheel when it comes to hands-on skill training with advanced automation technologies.
Look no further than Amatrol’s VR Smart Factory software, which creates a digital twin of Amatrol’s three-cart Mechatronics training system that can be explored virtually via a Meta Quest VR headset. Users can observe the operation of the system that assembles a working industrial directional control valve, including pneumatic pick and place feeding, go/no-go gauging/quality inspection (height and orientation verification), and automated inventory/parts storage.
In addition to observing the system in action, users can also interact with the virtual system, performing a variety of skills, such as: adjusting air pressure regulators for cylinders and vacuum generators; adjusting the ultrasonic sensor that regulates height measurement; viewing system information on the HMI screen; and adding parts to the gravity feeder. Several of these actions can also be performed via shortcuts using the left-hand gaze controller on the VR headset.
Developed in conjunction with CESMII—The Smart Manufacturing Institute and Texas A&M University, Amatrol’s VR Smart Factory software shortcuts the learning curve for users. Every user with a licensed VR headset can become familiar with the system’s operation and practice basic adjustments to see how they affect the system’s operation BEFORE working on the physical system. VR Smart Factory allows users to experiment and make mistakes in a virtual environment.
Amatrol’s VR Smart Factory replicates the real three-cart Mechatronics system in such detail that it presents a unique opportunity for instructors to combine the VR Smart Factory with the real physical training system and Amatrol’s eLearning curriculum to create an immersive learning experience that will better prepare users with real hands-on skills relevant to modern industry needs.
If you’re ready to take your training to the next level, consult with an expert at Amatrol today to learn how you can take the first step toward teaching the skills that will set students up for success in the future.
About Duane Bolin
Duane Bolin is a former curriculum developer and education specialist. He is currently a Marketing Content Developer in the technical training solutions market.
