Manufacturing Today

Manufacturing has evolved considerably since the 20th century. Today, manufacturing has entered its fourth revolution, also known as Industry 4.0. This is a shift away from the assembly line approach and lean manufacturing principles of the past. Digital technologies have been integrated into many aspects of the industry, enabling improvements in manufacturing, as well as supply chain management, and product lifecycle management.

Advanced technologies changing the face of manufacturing include:

  • The Internet of Things

  • Cloud computing

  • Artificial intelligence

  • Big data and analytics

  • Autonomous robots

  • Digital twins

  • Augmented Reality

To see a few local smart manufacturing examples in the West Michigan area, check out the following resources from Lakeshore Advantage: