already proving themselves worthwhile.
Additive Manufacturing: A Sustainable Game-Changer for Manufacturing A once-niche concept, additive manufacturing (AM) is now making its way into mainstream industrial operations. This method of manufacturing creates parts by adding, layer-by-layer using a 3D printer, often resulting in complex geometries that wouldn’t be possible to create with traditional “subtractive” manufacturing methods. 3D printing has been utilized for prototyping since the 1980s, but recently, advancements in both materials and software have allowed AM to become a viable option for producing functional parts at scale. According to SME, the additive manufacturing market is projected to surpass $70 billion by 2030. It’s current market size is approximately $20 billion. Increased investment and new technologies in additive manufacturing set the stage for distributed manufacturing, a concept being proven by Automation Alley's Project DIAMOnD, that transfers production from one facility to many facilities with 3D printers capable of running the same file and recipe globally. Additionally, 3D printing will lend itself toward mass customization. Products will no longer be constrained by the precise, yet difficult-to-change nature of a traditional assembly line. Adapting to change and tweaking design will be much easier to do with 3D printers in comparison to traditional moldmaking.
Unleashing the Power of IoT, 5G, and Big Data Even before AI becomes the industry standard, we can expect to see the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing begin to gain popularity in manufacturing. The benefits of 5G connectivity are already being felt. With data becoming crucial to Industry 4.0, 5G provides lower latency, higher capacity, and increased bandwidth in comparison to standard 4G LTE networks. Worldwide, 94 countries deployed 5G in 2023.
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