The Future of Sheet Metal Manufacturing: AI, Big Data, and Predictive Analytics+ View more
The Future of Sheet Metal Manufacturing: AI, Big Data, and Predictive Analytics
+ View more
Date:2023-11-25 11:00
Manufacturing thin metal sheets has advanced apace with technology and engineering. By 2030, the industry can expect to see growth equal to 4.5 percent on average each year, according to forecasts. Beyond the forces of demand and supply that drive the growth, the sheet metal fabricating sector stands to benefit from two major developments in technology—artificial intelligence and big data. These developments promise to revolutionize production processes in the industry, and we here at Sheet Metal Engineering hope to provide our readers with a look at what the future may hold for that sector.
Various industries are already reaping the rewards of artificial intelligence, and sheet metal manufacturing is no different. Automation systems powered by AI can process enormous amounts of data from sensors, cameras, and machines—in real-time, for the most part—allowing them to make decisions and optimize processes without direct human intervention. Intelligent robots can now do much of the work that humans used to do when that work required precision, speed, or both. They can now handle materials, assemble parts, and conduct quality control checks fast and reliably. But there’s also the issue of productivity, and there too, sheet metal manufacturing stands to gain from the spread of AI.
The sheet metal forming process is big data's best friend. There is no shortage of what can be monitored and measured across the massive number of sheet metal manufacturing processes, from the formation of the metal itself to the multitude of fabrication operations that follow. From its inception, the idea of Industry 4.0 has been to take advantage of the massive amounts of real-time data and information generated across each of the manufacturing disciplines. The challenge for manufacturers has always been to figure out how to use all of that data to their advantage and come up with new and better ways of serving their customers and running their businesses more efficiently.
The public often misunderstands the use of predictive analytics. When combined with AI and big data, they have a substantial role in forecasting machinery failures and enhancing product quality. By dissecting the historical data of a machine's performance, maintenance, and quality, the assembly of these electrons can forecast precise moments when a piece of equipment requires replacement or servicing. Predictive analytics also serves another vital function. It detects potential quality deviations early on—so that manufacturers can rectify the situation before the product reaches the consumer.
Sheet metal technology is increasingly using virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR)—two transformative technologies. VR takes 3D models of components and creates a virtual environment in which engineers and designers can visualize and manipulate these models to optimize for not just aesthetics, but also for manufacturability and functionality. What happens after the careful design and fabrication of the components, however? Enter AR, which assists with the all-important assembly process and overlays digital instructions onto the real world. Using both prevents errors, improves efficiency, and allows for almost superhuman collaboration.
Tomorrow's sheet metal production will be interconnected like never before. The focus will be on the whole supply chain and its optimization. The AI and big data analytics of the future will give us insights to pursue this optimization, but the real driver will be the insights of the human operators and engineers who will work together to analyze the performance of suppliers, the management of inventory, and the forecasting of demand at every step of the production and assembly processes. They will use this information to make decisions that will reduce lead times and give us a better assurance of the availability of materials at every stage of the supply chain and at every step of the production process. Tomorrow's supply chain will be cost-optimized. It will be resource-flexible. And it will be far better at satisfying customers than today's supply chain.
Sheet metal production's future depends on new technologies, like artificial intelligence, big data, and predictive analytics. These innovations are bringing about unprecedented increases in sheet metal automation, process optimization, and supply-chain efficiencies. Yet, the most significant changes lie in the evolution of human-machine collaboration. AI and its sister technologies have the potential to revolutionize the metal fab industry—sheet metal included—which may find itself a part of the overarching smart factory vis-à-vis the Internet of Things. With smart technologies come smart ways of working with people, and that's where the metal-fab industry is headed.
Various industries are already reaping the rewards of artificial intelligence, and sheet metal manufacturing is no different. Automation systems powered by AI can process enormous amounts of data from sensors, cameras, and machines—in real-time, for the most part—allowing them to make decisions and optimize processes without direct human intervention. Intelligent robots can now do much of the work that humans used to do when that work required precision, speed, or both. They can now handle materials, assemble parts, and conduct quality control checks fast and reliably. But there’s also the issue of productivity, and there too, sheet metal manufacturing stands to gain from the spread of AI.
The sheet metal forming process is big data's best friend. There is no shortage of what can be monitored and measured across the massive number of sheet metal manufacturing processes, from the formation of the metal itself to the multitude of fabrication operations that follow. From its inception, the idea of Industry 4.0 has been to take advantage of the massive amounts of real-time data and information generated across each of the manufacturing disciplines. The challenge for manufacturers has always been to figure out how to use all of that data to their advantage and come up with new and better ways of serving their customers and running their businesses more efficiently.
The public often misunderstands the use of predictive analytics. When combined with AI and big data, they have a substantial role in forecasting machinery failures and enhancing product quality. By dissecting the historical data of a machine's performance, maintenance, and quality, the assembly of these electrons can forecast precise moments when a piece of equipment requires replacement or servicing. Predictive analytics also serves another vital function. It detects potential quality deviations early on—so that manufacturers can rectify the situation before the product reaches the consumer.
Sheet metal technology is increasingly using virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR)—two transformative technologies. VR takes 3D models of components and creates a virtual environment in which engineers and designers can visualize and manipulate these models to optimize for not just aesthetics, but also for manufacturability and functionality. What happens after the careful design and fabrication of the components, however? Enter AR, which assists with the all-important assembly process and overlays digital instructions onto the real world. Using both prevents errors, improves efficiency, and allows for almost superhuman collaboration.
Tomorrow's sheet metal production will be interconnected like never before. The focus will be on the whole supply chain and its optimization. The AI and big data analytics of the future will give us insights to pursue this optimization, but the real driver will be the insights of the human operators and engineers who will work together to analyze the performance of suppliers, the management of inventory, and the forecasting of demand at every step of the production and assembly processes. They will use this information to make decisions that will reduce lead times and give us a better assurance of the availability of materials at every stage of the supply chain and at every step of the production process. Tomorrow's supply chain will be cost-optimized. It will be resource-flexible. And it will be far better at satisfying customers than today's supply chain.
Sheet metal production's future depends on new technologies, like artificial intelligence, big data, and predictive analytics. These innovations are bringing about unprecedented increases in sheet metal automation, process optimization, and supply-chain efficiencies. Yet, the most significant changes lie in the evolution of human-machine collaboration. AI and its sister technologies have the potential to revolutionize the metal fab industry—sheet metal included—which may find itself a part of the overarching smart factory vis-à-vis the Internet of Things. With smart technologies come smart ways of working with people, and that's where the metal-fab industry is headed.
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