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Stratasys (NASDAQ: SSYS)

Jay Beversdorf, Head Of Application Engineering and Channel Development

Smart factory, Internet of Things (IoT), Lean manufacturing, and Industry 4.0

Jay Beversdorf

Undoubtedly, everybody has heard one—if not all—of the current manufacturing buzzwords of 2019. The trend toward smart factories is not only happening in North America but has spread across Europe and into Asia as well. Earlier this month, I presented at a smart factory consortium in Busan, South Korea, where the government began an initiative and pledged to invest $1.7 billion to create 30,000 smart factories in Korea by 2022. Similar initiatives have already been underway for last few years in neighboring Asian countries, including the manufacturing powerhouses of China and Japan.

Manufacturers, technologies, and innovators alike are teaming together for the rapid acceleration of taking these industrial fads and making them a reality. But what do these words really mean?

At its core, the foundation of the next industrial revolution boils down to these two elements.

1) Improving manufacturing flexibility and efficiency.

2) Providing more services and functionality to the end user.

Improving Manufacturing Agility

Manufacturers around the globe are constantly looking for ways to improve efficiency. By incorporating lean manufacturing principals, such as just-in-time manufacturing, they can save dramatically on warehousing costs and adapt to product changes at the drop of a hat. It is becoming increasingly clear that a connected and truly digital manufacturing workflow is the key to enabling a more lean manufacturing process.

Providing More for the Customer

In this century, customers are demanding more from their products and services.

Companies should be bold enough to make 3d printing part of their future strategy and to actually stick to developing their internal capabilities

They are demanding truly tailored products and solutions to their unique requirements. Gone are the days of the mass manufacturing line pumping out millions of the exact same products. Consumers want their own custom colors, designs, features, and more, and manufacturers need to begin adopting technologies that can handle this constantly changing environment.

How does 3D Printing Play a Role

Undeniably, 3D printing does not solve all the manufacturing world’s woes with a single, easy-to-use device. There are many different shapes and sizes of manufacturing equipment; each tailored to perform their unique tasks, links in the chain so to speak.

3D printing is one of said pieces of equipment—and a powerful one at that. It is an excellent technology for constantly changing designs, digital manufacturing of inventories, and developing new market innovations. And the technology is still changing with each passing year. As this technology progresses through new material developments, improved reliability, and increased throughput, it will solidify its place in the manufacturing world.

Untapped potential… today

There is a growing sentiment among manufacturers that have purchased 3D printers under the false pretenses that it is a bullet proof manufacturing technology today. True, 3D printing is an extremely valuable technology and the vast majority of current users are only utilizing the visible iceberg of the technologies current capabilities. The other 90% of use cases for customers lie below the water’s surface and can only be uncovered by making 3D printing an investment into your future companies growth strategy. 3D printing is already homologous with basic prototyping is already needs but given the recent advancements in materials, capabilities and repeatability there is so much more than basic prototyping that can be done with this technology. More and more often, I meet customers that are using 3D printing for advanced functional prototyping (life cycle testing, pilot product development, alpha/ phase development).

Companies should be bold enough to make 3D printing part of their future strategy and to actually stick to developing their internal capabilities. With this approach, they can reap the benefits of both short term efficiency gains while adequately preparing their work force and process for the longer-term 3D printing production vision. Without this two-pronged approach, companies may find themselves behind in the increasing competitive global manufacturing environment.

Check out: The Manufacturing Outlook

The articles from these contributors are based on their personal expertise and viewpoints, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of their employers or affiliated organizations.