MT Magazine March/April 2022

MARCH/APRIL 2022

MANUFACTURING MATTERS

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Manufacturing Matters Check in for the highlights, headlines, and hijinks that matter to manufacturing. These lean news items keep you updated on the latest developments.

Data-Driven Manufacturing Demands a Proactive Approach to Information Systems Machine learning, artificial intelligence, digital twin, continuous improvement, closed-loop manufacturing, and the metaverse are all ideas and technologies based on a backbone of data. This has created a dependency on information systems internal and external to the organization. Before this reliance, managing these systems was handled as things broke – a reactive approach. Due to the new critical roles assigned to these technologies, manufacturers are shifting to a proactive approach and investing in policies, procedures, hardware, security, and talent. This cultural change drives information infrastructure to be part of an organization’s capital expenses and strategic planning, significantly impacting the role of the manager or director of a firm’s information systems. As a result, their importance in strategic planning will increase and be an invaluable change for the future. TECHNOLOGY

INTELLIGENCE

Automation Technologies’ Faster Growth University studies point to a strong relationship between recessions and sudden bursts of expansion in automation and digital tech investment. Researchers at the Universities of Zurich and British Columbia found that 88% of job losses over the past three recessions occurred in automatable occupations.

Automated manufacturing technologies will expand sooner and faster than the manufacturing technology market as a whole over the next two years. Figures from AMT’s U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders (USMTO) Report are evidence to suggest this is true. The graphic shows that the growth in advanced automated machinery categories outpaced total metal cutting orders handsomely. By contrast, orders for machinery where advances in the latest automation technologies are not fully deployed have grown at a slower pace. We should expect to see continued acceleration of growth in manufacturing automation where demand for goods continues to improve while labor shortages prevail.

SMARTFORCE

Intel, Dell, and AACC Launch Artificial Intelligence Incubator Network In January at the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Workforce Development Institute (WDI) conference, AACC, Intel, and Dell announced the formation of the AACCAI Incubator Network (AIIN), an initiative to build artificial intelligence (AI) incubators that will combine industry expertise with the community college system in the United States. AI has become an increasingly important and relevant field of study across multiple occupational areas and industry sectors, especially in manufacturing. Each AIIN location, whether physical or virtual, will serve as a solution center for its community or talent pool for local labor markets. AACC will build this network quickly, elevating a national dialogue and providing a set of coordinated resources to the wider community college system. A minimum of one college per state will be encouraged to join. For more information about AIIN, visit aacc.nche.edu/aiin.