At its core, the manufacturing industry relies on technology to function—especially in the twenty-first century.

With the dawn and rise of Industry 4.0, manufacturing is seeing new technologies being integrated into workflows that enable quicker production, cost savings, and overall efficiencies.

We’ve outlined some of those key technology trends within the manufacturing industry below for you to explore yourself.

Predictive Maintenance

From a manufacturing standpoint, what’s something that will always slow down production lines?

Maintenance.

What if you could predict when an issue will arise and solve the problem before it happens? What if you could line up resources to solve the problem more quickly?

Enter predictive maintenance.

Not only does this technology save money, since maintenance is only done when it is needed, it saves time, too.

Big Data

Big data has transformed and continues to shape many industries, and manufacturing is no different.

To help realize a competitive advantage, manufacturers are focusing on collecting as much data as possible across the supply chain.

This collection of data allows businesses to analyze their processes and provide insights to drive efficiencies and hit KPIs.

The more data collected, the more knowledge available, and better decisions are made.

Virtual and Augmented Reality

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are not just toys and games or marketing fads. They are becoming serious tools for the manufacturing industry.

One example is Siemens’ AssistAR product that guides technicians through routine maintenance. This enables technicians around the world to receive the same support. It’s also a quick way to solve problems without having to deploy someone in-person.

Digital Transformation

2020 was arguably the year of digital transformation.

In fact, 67% of manufacturers accelerated digital projects because of the pandemic—and this trend has continued into 2021.

From internal systems to customer-facing platforms, everyone is thinking digital first to ensure business processes run as smoothly as possible.

3D Printing

Though 3D printing has been in the manufacturing industry for over 40 years, there has been a significant uptick in its usage. This is especially true during the pandemic.

3D printing has enabled businesses to rapidly upscale production, since product parts could be made anywhere due to the digital nature of 3D printing.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is central to all of the previous trends outlined. It’s crucial to helping manufacturers propel growth.

From human/robot collaboration to inventory management, AI improves manufacturing processes by:

• Speeding them up
• Saving money
• Creating more efficient business environments

In conclusion, manufacturing businesses are turning to multiple new and evolving technologies to help meet business goals. For global companies, these technologies must cater to employees—no matter what language they speak. TransPerfect can localize software, websites, and apps, and specializes in international digital transformations.

Want to learn more about how we can help? Get in touch with our team of localization experts today.