St. Paul, MN (June 25, 2020) — IoT technologies are changing the way products are developed, manufactured, and delivered. As projected by McKinsey, factories are becoming more efficient, ensuring better safety for human operators, reduced downtime and reduced error rates that help save millions of dollars.
Diverse industries — from oil and gas, utilities, mining, agriculture, automotive, discrete manufacturing and beyond — are leveraging ‘The Internet of Things’ (IoT) to connect the entire supply chain and collect data, driving artificial intelligence and predictive analytics. According to Accenture, by leveraging a network of embedded sensors and devices connected to appliances, vehicles and other equipment throughout their manufacturing floors, warehouses and logistics operations, companies benefit from real-time process monitoring and control. This ultimately makes them better equipped to make faster, better-informed decisions.
As various industries become more accustomed to the idea of mass, precision manufacturing, CNC machining is gaining more prominence. Already an incredibly advanced process, according to Marc Kavinsky, Editor at IoT Business News, it seems to be improving on a constant basis, with methods becoming more exact and better able to handle a wider range of materials. It is in part for this reason that machine tools (including the likes of 3D printers, CNC machines, etc.) are expected to grow in revenues to $134 billion by 2030. And some believe that number to be a low estimate.
As to what specifically will cause revenue growth for CNC machining, there are a few factors to consider. First, natural expansion of interest and use. As more businesses emerge, and more positive use cases of this type of machining become known, its applications will compound.
Additionally, there is the increasing versatility of CNC machining to consider. This is no longer a single process, but rather a type of manufacturing that can be conducted in numerous ways according to need: three-, four-, and five-axis machining, milling, turning, etc., all capable of shaping a variety of plastics, metals, and other materials. This versatility should also lead to more use in the coming years.
The expanding and improving ‘Internet of Things’ that will propel CNC machining toward greater revenues and more widespread utility. The IoT stands to revolutionize many manufacturing practices, in fact, as it further connects and digitizes our factories. But a few potential benefits stand out specifically as potential drivers of CNC machining growth:
Product Quality Control – With the IoT working in conjunction with CNC machining efforts, companies can outfit each and every part produced with a tiny sensor that connects it to a larger network. This makes it easier not only to track the products throughout any subsequent shipping and assembly efforts, but also to recognize and address production errors. If sensors detect a defect, the machining process can be halted if necessary until it’s sorted out.
Preventative Maintenance – Preventative maintenance is one of the most cited benefits of the IoT in manufacturing, and it is certainly a factor where CNC machining is concerned as well. As Particle put it, the IoT allows for real-time, remote condition monitoring – not only of products, as described above, but of the machines themselves. With CNC machining mechanisms essentially left alone to produce orders, IoT-connected sensors can make sure that they are doing so adequately, alert management to any issues, and even give advance notice of any general maintenance or upkeep needs.
Automated Labor – The IoT enables other robotic systems to work alongside CNC machining, such as organizing products once they are created. Currently, this is considered a human task, but with the IoT allowing various machines and systems to communicate with one another, this sorting and organization could be fully automated. This can reduce labor costs for one thing, but also prevent workplace injuries.
Given these benefits, and the positive impact they can have on related industries, the IoT will play an ever-larger role in driving CNC machining and other advance manufacturing processes forward.
The ‘Matsuura IoT’ is an open source platform, enabling the sharing of information from numerous machines to your production monitoring systems. Remote “status at a glance” visualization of current machine status maximizes and optimizes process efficiency and unmanned production while countering unscheduled maintenance and downtime.
Learn more about ‘Matsuura IoT’ by contacting your exclusive Matsuura Distributor. Find your local distributor HERE.
Read more from IOT Business News: https://iotbusinessnews.com/
Matsuura Machinery USA, Inc., located in St. Paul, MN is the U.S. subsidiary of Matsuura Machinery Corporation in Japan. Since 1935, Matsuura has been the forerunner in designing innovative technology and manufacturing solutions to a variety of industries around the globe. Matsuura Machinery USA, Inc. delivers unmatched excellence in 5-axis, vertical, horizontal, linear motor, multi-tasking CNC machine tools and machines with a powder bed metal AM platform with machining capability. Matsuura Machinery USA, Inc. provides the service, applications and technical field support that have always been the Matsuura standard for business.