Manufacturing Industry Trends 2022

1. 2022: The Year of Smart Factories

In 2022, factories and manufacturing amenities are poised to pass the tipping level of smart manufacturing facility adoption, transferring from the occasional or sporadic implementation of good gear to more full-fledged methods, taking advantage of the complete potential of data analytics and communication between equipment and central monitoring tools. Why? For several reasons:

• As older equipment continues to be phased out, newer machines come geared up with onboard sensors and monitoring tools.
• Manufacturers shall be more and more motivated to implement good technology in order to maintain pace with rivals who’re seeing the advantages of the same.

The prices of aftermarket sensors and other good factory software and gear continues to drop, while the benefits — more proactive and efficient maintenance, greater insight into process effectivity, a discount in total operating costs — change into ever-more obvious.

2. Focus on sustainability and carbon neutrality

As ESG — environmental, social and governance — issues change into more of a priority for manufacturers, the importance of sustainable processes and pursuit of carbon-neutral practices will become more prominent. In addition to sustainability necessities for government, municipal, and institutional contracts, manufacturers can anticipate to see more ESG requirements from industrial customers as well.

3. Supply Chain Reassessment

The preliminary worldwide supply chain disruption of 2020 continued to make waves in 2021, driving home just how precarious the conventional established order has been for almost every facility and enterprise. Thus, it’s unsurprising that in 2022, the provision chain will proceed to carry a prominent position as a space for continuous monitoring, management, and enhancement, with facilities looking for creative methods so as to add flexibility and reliability while also retaining value. Data is one such means, with data-driven inventory management as an efficient technique to establish previously unknown supply chain efficiencies. Manufacturers can use data to more quickly adapt to the uncertainties of the COVID-affected supply chain panorama and work to reduce disruptions, which proceed to be unpredictable.

4. Reshoring’s Ongoing Importance & Permanence

Prior to the onset of the COVID pandemic, reshoring was typically introduced as a lofty aim for the trade, illustrating a renewed give attention to high quality, service and success velocity. In 2020 and 2021, the significance of doing enterprise closer to residence was thrown into sharp aid, with reshoring turning into a needed method to bolster continuity — not merely a buzzword. In 2022, reshoring will settle in as a more possible and needed supply chain solution, evolving past a response to a temporary problem to become a more conventional means of operating.

5. Employee Safety and Health

Always a primary concern, worker security isn’t typically seen as a “trend” a lot as one thing that ought to be noticed and fostered daily. Much like every part else, COVID-19 modified that, and new methods of monitoring and sustaining worker health are as important for your workforce as they’re for your enterprise. Minimally, precautionary protocols will proceed throughout the year — with some facilities choosing to employ more advanced equipment to observe employee areas, movement and even temperatures.

6. Data-Driven Maintenance as a Margin Enhancer

Sensors, remote monitoring, connected devices and the Internet of Things (IOT) have appeared on trend lists for the previous a number of years, and that continues this year. Why? On one hand, sensors proceed to become more commonplace, communications are even quicker and more dependable, and manufacturers are innovating simpler methods to use data to drive predictive maintenance, and so on. More efficient, efficient maintenance is essential given the financial hardship that many amenities faced in 2020 and 2021 and will proceed to face in 2022. Since predictive upkeep can vastly reduce unplanned downtime, creating material cost savings is now more important than ever.

7. Increased Reliance on Virtual Processes

Technologies similar to digital twins, machine learning(ML), AI , AR and VR (augmented actuality and virtual reality) are serving to manufacturers navigate COVID challenges by enabling remote monitoring, servicing and equipment operation — all without the should be on-site. With communication approaching real-time, and the computing power to make it really appear to be the operator is in the room with the machine, virtual and remote operation is in maintaining with other recent trends in the manufacturing process that enable access, flexibility and security.

8. The challenge of meeting increased demand with a decreased labor force

The realities of the pandemic combined with present trends in the manufacturing landscape means that firms should be more efficient and nimbler than ever in addressing the skills gap and labor shortages. With demand for manufactured goods continuing to grow, manufacturers are leaving money on the desk if they aren’t capable of improve capacity and throughput to satisfy these needs. This requires a top-to-bottom analysis of all processes, figuring out methods to increase efficiency and support the workforce while bridging the skills gap and offering cutting-edge technical training to meet today’s needs. Some of these trends build on those with which you will be familiar from past years, and some are new because of today’s unique challenges.

As a technology-driven maintenance company, Apagen can help with your challenges and goals for 2022 and beyond to lead your operations into the next decade. For more info, contact Apagen today.