All manufacturers strive to make quality products at a reasonable cost, but companies involved in advanced manufacturing work with finer margins and have less room for error. The production lines of the past were rigid and inflexible, but they have been replaced by advanced manufacturing facilities filled with scanners, 3D printers, and robotic machines that can produce items with incredible precision. The machines in these facilities work together and communicate with each other. They can also often address potentially serious problems without any human assistance.
The Different Kinds of Advanced Manufacturing
Advanced manufacturing techniques were pioneered by companies that operate in complex and competitive areas like aerospace, technology, and pharmaceuticals. Advanced manufacturing is a term that describes an approach rather than a technique, and it can be used to refer to digital, additive, or robotic processes. All advanced manufacturing facilities have in common their commitment to use the best technology available to improve quality and efficiency.
Additive Manufacturing
Traditional manufacturing is reductive. Items are created by cutting, drilling, and grinding tools that remove unwanted material. Additive manufacturing creates items layer by layer from scratch. Far more complex items can be made in this way, and waste is all but eliminated. The 3D printing machines used in additive manufacturing facilities follow instructions provided by digital models, so every item they create is identical. Manufacturers in the healthcare sector showed what additive manufacturing was capable of when they used patient MRI scans to make custom implants and prosthetics.
Robotics
Robots started to appear on production lines in the 1970s because they could perform difficult and dangerous tasks and move heavy weights into precise positions. These robots could not deviate from their simple instructions, but modern manufacturing robots can think for themselves. Robots can perform handling, assembly, and welding tasks around the clock, and they never take shortcuts. They also know when to recharge their batteries.
Digital Manufacturing
Digital manufacturing refers to taking the digital model approach of additive manufacturing and using it on a traditional production line. The only difference is the digital instructions are sent to CNC machines, web guiding devices, and manufacturing robots instead of 3D printers. The benefits are the same. Digital manufacturing reduces waste, improves quality, and ensures consistency. The approach has become far more popular in recent years because it allows companies to use computers to simulate manufacturing. This saves time and money because these simulations can be used to identify and address potentially serious problems before production starts.
Advanced Manufacturing Equipment and Machinery
Companies that use advanced manufacturing techniques make a wide and diverse range of products, so their production facilities contain a wide and diverse range of manufacturing equipment and machinery. Some machines create items of incredible complexity from scratch, while others turn raw materials into finished products consistently and efficiently.
- 3D Printers: Advanced manufacturing facilities use 3D printers to create items far beyond the capabilities of traditional manufacturing processes. When the federal government tasked defense contractors with developing a reliable hypersonic missile for the U.S. military, they quickly concluded that only 3D printers could meet the project’s goals. Components exposed to prolonged hypersonic speeds must cope with extreme heat that even materials made for the Saturn V rocket cannot withstand.
- Robots: Early robots occupied a fixed position on the production line and performed a single task. Some modern manufacturing robots still work in this way, but others perform multiple tasks and move around the production line. Robots are especially common in industries like car manufacturing. Where heavy loads must be moved around and held in place with precision, but they can also be used to complete repetitive tasks for long periods with no drop-off in quality.
What is Sophisticated Operating Systems?
The entire advanced manufacturing process is controlled by a sophisticated operating system that sends information to and can gather information from every production machine and all of the cameras and sensors in the facility. This system ensures that machines always operate within their design parameters, and it keeps production moving in the most efficient manner possible.
The Importance of Precision in Advanced Manufacturing
Precision is important in advanced manufacturing because it improves efficiency. When tolerances are tighter, less material is discarded and less time is wasted. Improving precision also allows more complex items to be produced and existing items to be reduced in size. Precision is achieved by sending manufacturing machines digital instructions and then monitoring each step of the production process closely. This eliminates errors, reduces waste, and produces items of consistent quality.
The protocols for maintaining advanced manufacturing machinery and equipment are strict. Machines are monitored throughout the manufacturing process, and they also run their own diagnostic checks. When a problem is identified and remedied, the operating system may send a “patch” to other machines to prevent future issues. Components like motors, conveyor systems, and final drive units are maintained according to manufacturer directions, and any worn, broken, or defective components are replaced.
The Future of Advanced Manufacturing
Advanced manufacturing techniques have revolutionized industry and set new standards for quality, consistency, and efficiency, and we are only in the nascent stages of this transformation. Advances in machine learning, robotics, additive manufacturing, and artificial intelligence will expand the boundaries of manufacturing even further in the years ahead, and this will lead to more innovation and more breakthroughs. Advanced manufacturing has changed the way products are made, and the future promises to be even brighter.
Conclusion
In conclusion, advanced manufacturing has revolutionized production with precision and efficiency through technologies like 3D printing, robotics, and digital manufacturing. Initially adopted by complex industries such as aerospace and healthcare, these techniques are now widespread, enabling the creation of intricate items with minimal waste. As advancements in machine learning, AI, and robotics continue, the capabilities of advanced manufacturing will expand, driving further innovation and setting new standards for quality and efficiency in the industry. This transformation is only just beginning.
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Author: Written by Taylor McKnight, Author for MiniFinalDrives