From cars to computers, from coffee machines to children’s toys, almost everything we use everyday is produced by manufacturing enterprises, and manufacturing is also a key part of society. After several centuries of development, manufacturing methods have never stopped from being people-centered, relying on machine assembly lines, and then to the blooming automatic chemical plants we see today.
Forbes website recently reported that with the continuous development of science and technology, the change and shaping of manufacturing industry by science and technology are also increasing day by day. The future development of manufacturing industry will show the following ten trends.

Industrial Internet of things
Industrial Internet of things (iiot) refers to the use of interconnected devices to collect data in manufacturing and industrial environments, and then use these data to improve the manufacturing process.
Sensors are the main components of these interconnected iiot devices. Data collected from sensors on factory machines can help manufacturers understand machine performance, optimize maintenance processes, reduce machine downtime, and even predict when problems will occur.
5g and edge calculation
The fifth generation mobile data network technology (5g) will enable manufacturers to easily connect their iiot technology and collect and process data using devices such as intelligent machines and sensors (edge computing). Manufacturers can create a dedicated 5g network at the production site to provide ultra fast data transmission.
Predictive maintenance
In the manufacturing industry, predictive maintenance refers to the use of sensor data and artificial intelligence to detect faults in machinery and components. The idea is that by knowing when a machine or component may fail, manufacturers can take precautions to maintain the equipment more effectively.
This is not just for new equipment. For example, Siemens also adopts this technology on the old motor and transmission. By analyzing the data provided by the sensor, Siemens can understand the condition of the machine, detect abnormal conditions, and repair the machine before it breaks down.
Digital twin
“Digital twin” refers to copying a physical object in a digital way, simulating the behavior of the object in the real environment, and carrying out virtual simulation of the design, manufacturing process and even the whole factory, so as to improve the production efficiency of product R & D and manufacturing of manufacturing enterprises.
In manufacturing plants, people can use the “digital twin” model to simulate the size of new products, or create digital copies of equipment to see its operation under specific conditions. “Digital twin” technology can even be used to visualize and simulate the whole supply chain. In 2022, up to 70% of manufacturers may use “digital twin” for simulation and evaluation.
In 2018, Dennis mullenberg, then CEO of Boeing, said that “digital twin” will be the biggest driving force to improve production efficiency in the next decade. By using “digital twin”, Boeing has increased the first-time offline qualification rate of products by 40%.
Extended reality and the meta universe
Augmented reality technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality will play an increasingly important role in the manufacturing industry, including improving product design schemes, making better production plans, enhancing the ability of assembly line staff, and more immersive training. As more and more people in the world enter the meta universe, manufacturers will get more opportunities.
Automatic chemical plant
With the blessing of artificial intelligence, machines can now perform more and more tasks previously completed by humans. Therefore, machines can also undertake more and more manufacturing tasks.
Automation can bring many advantages to manufacturers, including higher productivity (machines will not be tired), higher accuracy and lower cost. In the future, we are expected to see more fully automated factories. In these places, production does not need humans to go to the site.

Robot and man-machine cooperation
One of the key factors of automation is the use of robots. However, it is worth noting that not all robots are designed to replace workers. Many robots can become human helpers and improve human work efficiency. For example, robot exoskeletons can help workers on production lines lift heavier parts, and scientists have developed man-machine cooperative robots specially used to work with humans.
Robot and man-machine cooperation can help manufacturers improve production efficiency. For example, Nissan has deployed the manipulator developed by general robotics in Japan’s automobile manufacturing plant to help maintain relevant equipment; A man-machine cooperative robot has also been deployed to help employees install engine air inlet and so on.
3D printing
As 3D printing technology becomes more cost-effective, scalable and efficient, manufacturers will increasingly use 3D printing to manufacture products. Compared with traditional manufacturing methods, 3D printing uses less materials and wastes less. In addition, 3D printing will also promote the arrival of a new era of personalized products, because the production of personalized products does not have to worry about economies of scale.
Airbus has been using 3D printing technology for more than 15 years and has become a pioneer in 3D printing in the manufacturing industry. The company widely uses 3D printing technology to realize the localization and on-demand production of tools such as fixtures and fixtures.
Web 3.0 and blockchain Technology
With the emergence of “next generation Internet” Web 3.0 (the next stage of the continuous iterative upgrading of the Internet paradigm from web 1.0 to Web 2.0) and distributed computing technologies such as blockchain and non homogeneous token (NFT), manufacturers will have the opportunity to better monitor their supply chain and even automate many transactions in the supply chain. Many products produced in the future will be sold together with NFT digital certificate.
Smarter and more sustainable
The emergence of intelligent Internet of things devices has not only changed the product production mode, but also changed the product production type. Nowadays, there seems to be “smart” versions from vacuum cleaners to toilets, and there is no sign of slowing down the trend of intelligent products. Therefore, manufacturers will increasingly explore how to provide customers with the smart products they expect.
In addition, customers will increasingly favor sustainable, reusable and recyclable products, and the one-off culture prevailing in the past is expected to end, which is another factor that manufacturers must consider.