By George J. Newton
With the arrival of Industry 4.0 and the Covid-19 pandemic, the manufacturing industry has been undergoing a lot of changes in 2021. It looks like these changes are set to continue for the next year. Here are the 8 industry trends that will dominate manufacturing in 2022.
- IIoT-Internet of Things
“IIoT, even though it has become more widespread in the industry field, is still at the top of the list for upcoming trends in 2022,” says Robert Smith, a journalist at Brit student and Write my X. The Industrial Internet of Things, due to its adaptability, innovation, and predictive maintenance capabilities, saves companies time and money. This is essential in today’s industry and therefore will continue to be a top trend in 2022.
- 3D Printing
3D printing is another example of new technology that has had a massive impact on industry and will continue to do so in the upcoming year. 3D printing allows for the production of more reliable and efficient components faster and with fewer resources. This, in turn, improves overall manufacturing performance. With so many different types of products that can be produced in this manner, from engine parts, to appliances, even some food products, 3D printing is here to stay.
- Predictive Maintenance
Predicting failures and avoiding downtime is dominating the field of industry right now. “Downtime in your production line costs big money,” explains Angela Clement, a writer at Origin Writings and 1 Day 2 write. Ninety-eight percent of businesses report that a single hour of downtime costs them over $100,000. That’s a lot of money to be wasting, which is why adopting preventative maintenance strategies is essential to keep costs down. Minimizing unplanned downtime and extending the life of your factory machinery will always be trendy in up-and-coming years.
- Data Mining and Big Data
These are hot topics right now within the manufacturing industry. With the interest in IIoT and predictive maintenance, data mining and big data is critical. A perk to IIoT is that with every input and move, everything is registered and therefore can be studied. You can find death time, loopholes, and even a better way to manage productivity. Having connected operations leads to all this big data. The ability to collect data from a wide variety of sources, real-time, allows for businesses to get a clearer picture of exactly what their company is doing. This allows for better forecasting and planning models, which will lead to more money in the long run.
- Industry 4.0
This term was coined to describe the current trend towards ‘smart factories’ in manufacturing. It’s shorthand for the fourth industrial revolution. Many of the current industry trends help contribute to making Industry 4.0 possible, like IIoT, the cloud, and the human work force all work together to create Industry 4.0. And this trend shows no sign of slowing down in 2022.
- Shifting focus from B2B to B2C
The manufacturing industry is becoming less business-to-business focused and more business-to-consumer focused. This has several benefits including increased profits, brand control, and better customer data. This trend is set to continue as more companies look for ways to recoup costs from the global pandemic.
- Onshore instead of offshore
This debate has been around for the past 20 years, but due to the recent Covid-19 pandemic, many companies are going back to onshore manufacturing in the USA. The rising fuel costs, global trade shutdowns, and new tax incentives were enough to lure a lot of the industry back onshore. Also, having more AI solutions negates the high labor cost.
- VR and AR in industry
Industrial manufacturers will continue to use VR and AR in their daily operations, especially in field service management, where service technicians can use both to conduct guided repairs remotely in certain countries or for particular products. This keeps employees safer and less at risk, while also saving the company time and money in the long run. This trend is set to continue for many years to come, as both these technologies continue to improve.
These 8 trends will continue be top of the list in the industry and manufacturing fields for 2022 and for long into the future of this field.
*George J. Newton is a content writer and business development manager for Write my coursework and Thesis writing service.
