The Internet of Things Could Change Manufacturing
Posted September 17, 2013 & filed under Job Search, References
With unstable job growth, up and down numbers of exports, and an unfulfilled demand for skilled workers, the manufacturing industry has sure been experiencing a rough ride over the past few years. New innovations in technology, particularly the ultra-connectivity of the Internet of Things, could be just what the industry needs.
What exactly could the Internet of Things do for the manufacturing industry? Some experts, including economist Michael Mandel, maintain that the Internet of Things could successfully be integrated into manufacturing facilities and assembly line machines to create an efficient and fully interconnected web of internet sensors. Doing so, he predicts, could increase productivity in the manufacturing sector so much that it would expand the US economy anywhere from $600 billion and $1.4 trillion by 2025. This would be an overall increase in the GDP by 2% to 5%.
How could it actually be implemented?
Do these numbers sound a bit overinflated? Perhaps, but the Internet of Things can still provide a significant t boom to a stagnant manufacturing industry. Outside of connecting the coffeemaker and refrigerator to a central control program in the office, the Internet of Things can establish a fundamental system that connects a facility’s electrical and mechanical components to automation technology. Doing so could increase the efficiency of a facility by automating machines, heating & cooling systems, and all other processes in a manner that exemplifies peak performance.
Additionally, you will be able to detect a flaw or malfunction in a machine or part, automatically shutting down assembly before any further damage is done to production. Maintenance on parts would also be easy to track. With an entire facility automated, connected, and controlled through a web-based program, manufacturing production could peak in a manner of months.
Although economists are split on the exact effect that the Internet of Things could have on the manufacturing industry, it is easy to see that the benefits are undoubtedly there.
By Kevin Withers
