The 2021 manufacturing predictions 26th November 2020

In this article, Rafi Billurcu, Partner, Head of Manufacturing at Infosys Consulting will cover his 2021 manufacturing predictions. He also considers key topics including the impact of Brexit, adoption of automation technologies to support remote working, 5G’s role in speeding up Industry 4.0, and increased uptake in predictive technologies in preparation for future black swan events similar to the pandemic.

Shipbuilders Cammell Laird Construction has installed Atlas Copco marine-duty compressors aboard one of the most advanced polar research vessels in the world, RRS Sir David Attenborough.

Science fiction has a long history of inspiring technology that we now use on a daily basis. The creators of Star Trek first envisioned sliding doors and cell phones back in the 1960s, while video calling was already being referenced in 1927 classic Metropolis. But what about manufacturing? Here Neil Ballinger, Head of EMEA at EU Automation, gives five examples of industrial automation technology that was once science fiction, but is now a reality.

The COVID-19 pandemic has tested the resilience of the most robust supply chains and has ushered in a new way of working. This has changed how companies operate in an unprecedented manner. Here’s how motor and drive manufacturer, WEG kept going during the first few months of the pandemic to maintain customer supply and help in the COVID-19 fight.

When recent flooding in North Macedonia threatened the country’s supply of electricity, the company tasked with draining the mine, Simtech Solution, turned to WEG, the global motor and drive manufacturer, for support at a critical time.Among the consequences of this natural disaster, which struck in August 2020, was the flooding of a coal mine beneath a thermal power plant managed by the state company ESM-North Macedonia.

element14.com has introduced new resources and expertise to its range of free DIY learning modules to help engineers expand their skillsets through multiple innovative online resources.   

SME manufacturers are to pioneer an innovative, high impact programme designed to upskill their workforces to accelerate the adoption and application of Additive Manufacturing (AM). They are part of the Fast Track Additive Manufacturing - Upskilling the Workforce programme, run in collaboration with the Made Smarter North West adoption pilot, which connects the region’s manufacturers to digital tools, leadership and skills to drive growth, Manchester Metropolitan University’s PrintCity, and Fabricon Design, a business specialising in advanced manufacturing methods.

The online event - on the theme of the virtualisation of future vehicle engineering - will be hosted in the form of both pre-recorded and live-streamed sessions running from Monday 23rd to Friday 27th November 2020. Pressure to reduce and eliminate emissions, improve urban air quality and reduce the carbon intensity of transportation, mean that the wide-scale electrification and hybridisation of vehicles is becoming a reality.