Manufacturing Technology

Manufacturers are increasingly embracing innovations that enhance efficiency and redefine the very nature of production. Central to this shift is the concept of Industry 4.0, which represents the fourth industrial revolution—a fusion of digital technologies, automation, and data-driven insights.

As part of this digital transformation, smart technologies and advancements in industrial infrastructure—as well as the impact of data, AI, and cloud technologies—are shaping the future of industrial manufacturing. These trends are influencing how products are made, as well as the infrastructure and security measures within the industry.

This digital transformation is setting the stage for a new era in manufacturing, one where connectivity, intelligence, and agility are key. Understanding and adapting to these trends will be crucial for manufacturers looking to stay competitive and thrive in an increasingly complex global market.

1: Integration of Connected Smart Technologies

By leveraging connected devices like Internet of Things (IoT), Industrial IoT (IIoT), and smart sensors, manufacturers can automate processes, optimize production, and make data-driven decisions in real time. These technologies are enhancing productivity and enabling innovations that were once out of reach. In fact, 95% manufacturers are using or evaluating smart manufacturing technology.

Among the key technologies reshaping the industry are IoT and IIoT, which connect machinery and systems for seamless communication across the production floor. Smart sensors monitor equipment health, enabling predictive maintenance and reducing downtime.

To stay competitive, manufacturers must embrace these smart technologies and integrate them into their operations. This involves investing in the necessary infrastructure, such as robust data management systems, and upskilling the workforce to effectively collaborate with advanced technologies. The urgency of this transition is highlighted by the fact that 86% of manufacturing executives believe smart factory solutions will be the primary drivers of competitiveness in the next five years.

2: Advancements in Industrial Infrastructure

The manufacturing industry is rapidly evolving towards more advanced and automated facilities, with 5G and edge computing playing a crucial role in this transformation. Nearly all manufacturers (91%) recognize the importance of 5G for their business’s future, with more than half already testing or using it within their facilities. The deployment of 5G is expected to significantly enhance global competitiveness, as it enables real-time data processing, remote troubleshooting, and improved visibility—key factors in modern manufacturing.

5G and edge computing are essential for supporting lean manufacturing and Industry 4.0. These technologies allow for real-time data exchange and decision-making, which helps minimize waste, optimize resources, and maintain just-in-time production. Additionally, 5G is expected to drive new processes and business opportunities, with 88% of manufacturers believing it will lead to the creation of new processes and 86% anticipating new business ventures.

Upgrading industrial infrastructure to incorporate these technologies presents challenges, such as the need for significant investment and workforce upskilling. However, the long-term benefits, including enhanced productivity, innovation, and competitiveness, make these upgrades essential. Manufacturers that strategically integrate 5G and edge computing will be better positioned to thrive in an increasingly digital and connected world.

3: Importance of Robust Industrial Security

As the manufacturing sector becomes more digitized and interconnected, including the integration of IoT, smart sensors, and automated systems, the potential for cybersecurity risks and data breaches has increased. As a result, the manufacturing sector is the most attacked industry. The cybersecurity risks posed by operational technology (OT) systems are considered moderate to severe by 77% of manufacturing executives.

Despite this, many organizations have not fully addressed these risks, with only 53% reporting that they have implemented key OT mitigation activities, such as automated security functions, outside assessments, or backup plans.

To address these growing threats, manufacturers must adopt emerging cybersecurity technologies. AI-driven security solutions can detect and respond to threats in real time, while blockchain technology enhances data security and transparency across the supply chain. These technologies are becoming essential components of modern industrial security strategies.

Best practices for securing industrial systems include conducting regular risk assessments, implementing multi-layered security protocols, and continuously monitoring and updating security measures. In addition, a Managed Services solution can help organizations take a proactive approach with conducting regular risk mitigation activities. Pen testing, Dark Web scans, and threat workshops prioritize investments and may even be a requirement for cybersecurity insurance.

4: Impact of Data and AI

The potential for AI in manufacturing is immense, and this is reflected in the industry’s growing investment in the technology. By 2030, 96% of manufacturing companies are expected to increase their AI investments, driven by the promise of improved decision-making and significant cost savings across the enterprise.

However, despite the potential, 95% of manufacturers struggle with effective data management, and only 28% are confident in their DataOps strategy—compared to 57% in other industries. This gap highlights a significant challenge: manufacturers must improve their data management capabilities to unlock the full potential of big data and AI.

Despite the industry’s data struggles, AI and machine learning are rapidly transforming manufacturing by enabling predictive maintenance, automating quality control, and optimizing supply chains. Currently, 57% of manufacturers are experimenting with small-scale AI pilot projects across various areas of their business. These projects often focus on plant floor IoT analysis and preventative maintenance, where AI can predict equipment failures before they occur, reducing downtime and enhancing productivity. As AI continues to evolve, its applications are expected to expand, offering even more opportunities to streamline operations and improve product quality.

5: Growth of the Cloud

Cloud technology is increasingly viewed as a top driver of ROI for manufacturers—primarily because it enables them to manage and scale operations more effectively. The global cloud computing in manufacturing market is projected to reach $198.47 billion by 2030, reflecting the growing importance of cloud platforms in the sector.

Manufacturers are using cloud technologies to enhance various aspects of their operations, from production management to supply chain optimization. For example, cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems allow manufacturers to integrate and automate critical processes, leading to greater efficiency and cost savings.

Additionally, cloud platforms enable real-time monitoring and analytics, which are essential for maintaining quality control and meeting regulatory compliance. As manufacturing becomes more data-driven, the ability to access and analyze vast amounts of data in real-time through the cloud is becoming a critical competitive advantage.

The Future of Manufacturing

The future of industrial manufacturing is being shaped by the rapid adoption of data, AI, and cloud technologies. These innovations are driving unprecedented levels of efficiency, agility, and competitiveness across the industry. However, the successful integration of these technologies requires careful planning, investment, and a commitment to overcoming challenges such as data management, security, and workforce adaptation. Manufacturers that embrace these trends and strategically implement them will be well-equipped to lead in the next era of industrial innovation.

Cisco Industrial Automation Network

Brief

Cisco helps manufacturers solve connectivity, security, and uptime pain points through best-in-class industrial networking solutions. Cisco provides a wide portfolio of industrial switches, routers, firewalls, and access points designed to work seamlessly with industrial control systems in the factory—all while integrating security alerts and logging with corporate monitoring. Cisco’s industrial networking solutions allow for industrial networks that satisfy operational and information technology teams, while creating a fully converged network to support future industrial automation and Industry 4.0 use cases. Learn how Cisco improves both corporate and industrial networking while mitigating OT cybersecurity risks.

Don’t Just Upgrade Your Data Center—Transform Manufacturing Operations with AMD EPYC

Blog

Operational excellence is everything in manufacturing, whether we’re talking about speeding research and development or producing next-generation products faster, cheaper, and at better quality. In addition to short product lifecycles and increased productivity, many manufacturers are also looking to reduce their energy footprint, become more sustainable, reduce high-priced software licensing costs, and rationalize data center infrastructure. Learn more about how AMD’s next-generation compute platform helps deliver productivity, sustainability, and rationalization to improve the bottom line.

HPE Aruba ClearPass

Solution

In 2021, 61% of manufacturing attacks were on operational technology environments, heralding the need to properly protect all manufacturing infrastructure.1 These risks are influenced by old legacy equipment, third-party hardware access and support, and next-generation IoT and mobile devices. For these reasons, it’s more important than ever to gain visibility into who and what is connecting to a manufacturer’s network and how to control what can and cannot connect. Learn more about how Aruba ClearPass delivers protection and efficiency in managing the technology that connects to your network.

Security Managed Services: Arctic Wolf Managed Detection and Response

Datasheet

In 2021, manufacturing became the number one most attacked industry in the U.S. and world, meaning manufacturing is at a higher risk of cybersecurity threats than ever before.¹ Whether your organization is looking to comply with ISO27001, NIST 800-171, or CMMC—or perhaps just looking to enhance your overall corporate security posture—consider how managed cybersecurity services can improve security and address detection and response. Sleep better at night knowing you have experts and state-of-the-art tools to help your teams protect your business. Learn how Arctic Wolf’s managed detection and response services can help.

Lenovo High-performance Workstations

Engineering talent is costly. When it comes to keeping designers and engineers productive, leverage Lenovo’s PX series of high-performance workstations to maximize the latest applications to design, engineer, and simulate, so your organization’s engineers can bring the best products to market faster.

Dell Edge Solutions

Smart manufacturing requires the ability to acquire, automate, and accelerate decision making at the edge. Dell’s EMC Edge Gateway series helps you turn data into actionable insights with secure connectivity and uninterrupted performance, so you can unlock the full power of edge analytics.

Meraki MV Solutions

Datasheet

Today’s manufacturers are looking for more than just security cameras. They are looking to evolve security, productivity, workplace safety, and quality. This means choosing a camera solution that just doesn’t record and store video, but a platform that is easy to deploy and use, integrates AI and MV at the edge of the camera, solves a complex range of use cases with simple out-of-the-box solutions, and offers expansion into complex use cases via third-party software partnerships.

Plainsight Vision AI

Solution

Today’s cameras provide on-board AI compute and the ability to stream video to an edge device, making them a great investment for solving issues in security, workplace safety, and production. Using third-party software atop these camera investments, manufacturers can deploy any number of use cases to drive productivity, compliance, quality, and safety. Learn more about how Plainsight’s unique artificial intelligence and machine vision platform allows teams to develop new vision models, easily manage the machine vision lifecycle, and solve modern manufacturing challenges.

AI in Manufacturing

White Paper

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming global manufacturing. It promises substantial business benefits for manufacturers: increased throughput, reduced costs, and improved product quality. While AI represents maturity in what Industry 4.0 seeks to achieve, your organization’s first steps into implementing AI don’t need to feel overwhelming. Instead of trying to solve everything at once, you can—and should—use AI incrementally to solve the right problems at the right time for your business. Read this white paper for a better understanding of manufacturing best practices for AI.

Machine Vision Is Easier Than You Think

Video

Just look at how fast the Connection Manufacturing Team was able to quickly build a bottling line—complete with cameras, high-performance compute, networking, enclosures, sensors, PLCs, digital signage—and train an artificial intelligence machine vision model (in days) to detect a range of quality defects in real-time at the edge.

AI/Camera Vision is not a dream, it’s a reality. You too can leverage it to take unstructured data from cameras and convert it to valuable insight to address workforce shortages, skills gaps, safety, quality, and productivity or to create market differentiation that sets you apart.