Have you ever looked at your keyboard or laptop and thought, "How did that get into my possession?" The intricate design with the keys and the positioning of electronics. How can such a complicated thing be produced on a mass-production scale?

The progression of technology and the credit-fueled manufacturing boom started around a century ago. Many new-age manufacturing technologies like CNC 5-axis machining, 3D printing, and CAD helped people build on existing plastic injection molding capabilities.

Technology, robotics, AI – how does it all collide in a busy manufacturing environment? What do these technologies bring to the table, and what can we expect from the future of production?

CNC Machining

CNC milling changed the game when it arrived in the 1940s. Over the decades of advancement in this technology, we've seen the introduction of the modern 5-axis CNC machine.

At one time, the US government denied the export of these tools, deeming them a threat to national security. Today, they satisfy the needs of the most demanding project design task, enabling the intricate cutting of any shape into a range of materials.

Plastic Injection Molding

This technology has a history extending over one hundred years. With the advancement in polymer science and plastics, and the introduction of liquid silicon materials, injection molding offers high-volume production and prototyping solutions.

Plastic injection molding practices are becoming more automated and easier to implement at scale. Produce thousands of parts in just a matter of seconds and reduce prototyping periods with single or multi-cavity injection molding.

3D Printing

This technology never fails to amaze anyone that's paying attention to the industry. From 3D printing houses to grass-fed steaks, this technology's application list continues to grow daily. It seems they can print anything in any organic or inorganic material these days.

As printers and printing software experience more adoption, we'll continue to see the production costs for this technology fall, leading to exciting innovations in the field. With the ability to design small, intricate parts or components for huge projects, 3D printing remains a revolutionary force in the production and manufacturing industry.

Sheet Metal Design

Sheet metal design involves everything from making cars and freezers to roofing and huge construction projects. The low cost of materials, durability, and variety available in the sheet metal industry provide the conduit for high-volume manufacturing.

Steel manufacturers continue to see the introduction of AI and advanced management systems on the production floor and in the planning process. These innovations drive down costs while providing optimal production output.

CAD Design

The introduction of CAD to production design and planning was enormous. Engineers went from drawing boards to virtual screens in just a matter of a decade during the 90s. The leap brought by the adoption of computerized systems in the manufacturing industry is nothing short of incredible to watch.

CAD took product design to another level enabling the creation of thousands of the products we use today. Tools like 5-axis CNC machines can create amazing new products in any industry by uploading CAD models into machining and other production systems.

AI-Assisted Production Systems & Management

2023 is the year AI released itself on the world. The consumer market got awestruck by the impressive superpowers of Large Language Models (LLMs) and their capabilities. What does AI mean for the future of production?

Experts believe it will optimize many areas of the production process and eliminate the possibility of human error in manufacturing. When scientists discover how to merge the power of AI and predictive models into robotics, we're in for some interesting times.

While the human in manufacturing is certainly on the way out, there will be the creation of other positions in the industry requiring human roles. But it's certain that the technology certainly won't be slowing down any time soon.