The last two years have shaken the manufacturing industry. What used to be an industry that trudged on like an unstoppable machine had turned into a fragile industry that could derail at any time.
Thankfully, people are resilient and have already started to develop ways to make the manufacturing industry more resilient and capable of enduring worldwide catastrophes. Whether there is a shortage in raw materials or a shortage of staff, here are the trends that will reshape the manufacturing industry.
3D manufacturing
As 3D technology is developing, the application of the tech has not only increased, but the affordability has also changed for the better. The car industry is particularly interested in
3D printing automotive parts, as they could mass-produce parts without being dependent on a company from the outside.
Carbon3D is leading the charge with amazing products and machinery that can produce critical parts at a fraction of the cost and with more precision. They can manufacture everything from parking brake brackets to interior comforts like headrests and car seats. The application for 3D printing is getting more advanced by the day and the manufacturing industry has taken note.
Going onshore
The dependence on China came under the spotlight during the last couple of years and companies have started to address these issues by minimizing their dependence on China. The US specifically has started to look at restoring their suppliers and focusing on developing relationships with nations that the US has friendly trade agreements like Canada and Mexico.
This would mean that they could cut costs on transport and be assured that they will be less likely to be hit by a shortage of supply due to disruption. Although China has the manpower and ability to produce goods at a very low price, when these products cannot reach shore, it becomes obsolete, no matter how affordable the product might be.
Predictive maintenance
The manufacturing industry was hit by a double wave of challenges in that
supply chains were disrupted and workers became scarce. With a lack of staff, manufacturers were left with no choice but to look to predictive maintenance.
New technologies have been developed to address the issue of machine maintenance. Predictive maintenance enables companies to identify issues before they escalate. As a result, companies have less downtime and manufacturing costs are slashed. With consumer demand growing, manufacturers have to keep up and when downtime is kept at a minimum, customers stay happy.
More automation
The worker shortage has forced companies to rely more on machines to get the job done. Manufacturing companies have realized that although it is not yet possible to remove the human factor out of manufacturing, a lot of the heavy lifting can be done by machines.
In 2022, companies are going to look more at ways to reduce their dependence on human labor and how they can automate manufacturing processes more. Machines do not need to take breaks and do not need salaries either. Maintenance costs are comparatively much less expensive than staff overheads.
Hiring staff smarter
The worker shortage has put severe
pressure on manufacturing companies to make smarter hiring choices. In the past, companies were more focused on hiring specialized staff that knew how to do a particular job well. In 2022, companies are going to be on the lookout to hire staff who have a wider range of skills.
As a result, they are starting to use recruitment companies a lot more. These companies churn out staff at regular intervals which do casual or contract work. When a manufacturer notices some talent, they hire on a more permanent basis.