Increasing productivity in manufacturing has been an elusive goal despite significant advances in factory automation technology and robotics. There are four main challenges currently facing manufacturers: low production efficiency; product defects and inconsistent quality; unforeseen machine maintenance; and high energy use and waste costs. The fourth industrial revolution--also referred to as Industry 4.0--sets out critical technological directions for addressing these grand challenges via data-driven digital manufacturing (DM) solutions incorporating novel computing technology that combines AI/machine learning (ML) and digital twins (DTs)4 for digitally representing complex physical industrial machine, products, and people in production. While digital manufacturing powered by digital twins and dependency/constraint-aware ML is still in early stages, it has shown its potential in improving manufacturing productivity by 20%-30%. Although the Industry 4.0 vision and directions are supported by major manufacturing companies and technology providers (for example, Siemens, Bosch, and IBM), its technology baseline is not mature enough to address related computing needs.

Partners in McKinsey's Digital Practice discuss the 6 megatrends shaping the future of China's digital ecosystem. In a relatively short span of time, China has transitioned from a technological backwater to become one of the world's largest digital economies. On the back of its base of nearly one billion internet users, China's ecommerce sales grew to $1.7 trillion in 2020, a number that is equivalent to 30 percent of all retail sales in China. But this is not just a story of size. It is, above all, a story of innovation and disruption.

Succeeding in manufacturing today requires extreme efficiency. Every step to produce parts must be optimized in order to eliminate potential errors, as well as to maximize productivity, speed and throughput. This applies to all manufacturing processes, whether filling a mold, printing a part, machining or forming sheet metal. Digital manufacturing methods allow companies to do an end-to-end evaluation of the entire value chain and workflows before and during manufacturing. This "digital thread" runs through the operation and ties simulation, process monitoring and traceability to the physical plant.

Welcome to the voting for the Audience Choice Demo from HRI 2020. You can see the video and abstract from each demo here, with voting at the bottom. You can also register for the Online HRI 2020 Demo Discussion and Award Presentation on May 21 4:00 PM BST. Abstract: There are many challenges when it comes to deploying robots remotely including lack of situation awareness for the operator, which can lead to decreased trust and lack of adoption. For this demonstration, delegates interact with a social robot who acts as a facilitator and mediator between them and the remote robots running a mission in a realistic simulator. We will demonstrate how such a robot can use spoken interaction and social cues to facilitate teaming between itself, the operator and the remote robots.

As significant disruptions across Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), big data and predictive analytics continue to capture the attention of manufacturers, an EY study titled "'Will the next transformation in manufacturing be led by digital?" found that 66% of manufacturing firms in India ranked big data and predictive analytics as the top investment priority in technology in the next 1-2 years. While 63% of the organizations ranked sensors and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) as the second key priority, as many as 33% ranked cloud/integrated platforms along with robotic process automation as the third key priority for investment for transforming their current manufacturing process. The report incorporates first-hand perspectives of major manufacturing firms in India on the recent technological advancements and their adoption, as part of a survey conducted by EY. Ashish Nanda, EY India Supply Chain Leader said, "Concepts such as Industry 4.0 and Smart Factory, which interconnect the shop-floor ecosystem through emerging technologies, are now a reality. Digitization continues to transform manufacturing processes around the world leveraging technologies such as IIoT, artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, etc. However, the adoption of digital technologies in India is still in its infancy, considering that manufacturers have started using these technological advancements recently and with limited scope. Going by the success stories though, it is perhaps essential for manufacturing organisations in India to first understand and then embark on this digital transformational journey to remain competitive and attain world-class status."

As significant disruptions across Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), big data and predictive analytics continue to capture the attention of manufacturers, an EY study titled "'Will the next transformation in manufacturing be led by digital?" found that 66% of manufacturing firms in India ranked big data and predictive analytics as the top investment priority in technology in the next 1-2 years. While 63% of the organizations ranked sensors and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) as the second key priority, as many as 33% ranked cloud/integrated platforms along with robotic process automation as the third key priority for investment for transforming their current manufacturing process. The report incorporates first-hand perspectives of major manufacturing firms in India on the recent technological advancements and their adoption, as part of a survey conducted by EY. Ashish Nanda, EY India Supply Chain Leader said, "Concepts such as Industry 4.0 and Smart Factory, which interconnect the shop-floor ecosystem through emerging technologies, are now a reality. Digitization continues to transform manufacturing processes around the world leveraging technologies such as IIoT, artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, etc. However, the adoption of digital technologies in India is still in its infancy, considering that manufacturers have started using these technological advancements recently and with limited scope. Going by the success stories though, it is perhaps essential for manufacturing organisations in India to first understand and then embark on this digital transformational journey to remain competitive and attain world-class status."

The following is an opinion piece from Filemon Schöffer, co-founder and CCO of 3D Hubs, a 3D printing and manufacturing company. Opinions are the author's own. Rather than constantly innovating over the last half century, parts manufacturing fell into complacency, sidestepping rather than moving forwards. As a result, the sector is struggling to keep up with the rapid pace of digital transformation. With the growth of Industry 4.0 technologies, sluggish and inefficient traditional manufacturers are feeling the pinch; innovate or risk becoming outdated.

Digital manufacturing is rapidly changing the fundamentals of how products are developed, scaled and manufactured. By digitizing traditional manufacturing methods, including injection molding and CNC machining, and leveraging newer technologies, like 3D printing, the industrial internet of things (IIoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), companies are optimizing their supply chains, reducing development cycles, increasing efficiencies, and driving down costs. The Fourth Industrial Revolution continues to gain traction and is completely changing the economics of manufacturing, for those willing to embrace the change that is. Digital manufacturing breaks down barriers from traditional methods and reduces risk in product development, enabling manufacturers to bring products to market faster, and more effectively than ever before.Protolabs Empowered by connectivity and social networks, consumers are demanding more personalization than ever before. A Deloitte report noted half of consumers are interested in customized products and would be willing to pay more and wait longer if they could have an active role in design. The move from mass production to mass customization has historically had high cost implications, but the balance is beginning to tilt.

A huge confidence gap exists between the number of companies that try digital manufacturing strategies and those that successfully apply them, a new McKinsey & Co. survey found. In the 2018 Manufacturing Global Expert Survey, 92 percent of respondents think they lead or are on par with competitors in Industry 4.0 manufacturing strategies. The survey consisted of 700 companies in seven nations. Each had at least 50 employees and $10 million in annual revenue. It found that two-thirds rank digitizing the production value chain as a top priority.

About this course: The manufacturing industry is making a digital transformation, allowing companies to customize production through advances in machine learning, sustainable design, generative design, and collaboration, with integrated design and manufacturing processes. This course introduces innovations in CAD and digital manufacturing, speaking to the rapid changes taking place that are forever transforming the future of making. This course will also explore foundational concepts behind Autodesk Fusion 360 CAD/CAM. Fusion 360 is a cloud-based CAD/CAM tool for collaborative product development that combines industrial design, mechanical engineering, and machine tool programming into one software solution. Through a series of lectures and hands-on exercises, this course provides the core philosophy behind the software.