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Key Trends Shaping the Future of Smart Manufacturing

June 10, 2025
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1. How is technology addressing key trends in smart manufacturing?

Faced with workforce challenges, shortened delivery times and increased stock-keeping unit (SKU) count, machine builders have begun to leverage new technology to create digital-twin designs with DataReady architecture;  add more robotics; and use more flexible machine designs. To ease planning and installation, machine builders use FactoryTalk Twin Studio software to create a digital model that includes a customer’s requested data models, as well as On-Machine technology to simplify installation and maintenance, all while reducing historical startup schedules by as much as 50%. FactoryTalk Twin Studio enables a user to move quickly from software to software, accelerating the movement of a project through the design process. As the project grows, built-in change tracking and versioning automatically keep track of who did what and when.

2. Manufacturers continue to express growing interest in gathering data. How is gathering digital data evolving in smart manufacturing?

While data always has been important to manufacturers, a significant difference now is the interest in data science and the evolution of the data scientist career. Data scientists help end users identify the requirements and the data required. Machine builders leverage this insight to serve the users more effectively and highlight how their machines can provide this contextualized data. With this information, users can act more quickly and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. We also see machine builders helping to support the overall lifecycle of the equipment in a symbiotic way with users through DataReady solutions, which enable users to take their smart machines to the next level with data that is accessible, organized and can be seamlessly shared across applications.

3. Why is the use of robotics a key trend in smart manufacturing?

The use of robotics in manufacturing has expanded considerably in recent years. While the automotive industry has applied robotics for decades and continues to find new applications, other industries, including metal working and life sciences, are adopting the technology at a much faster pace.

We see the increased adoption of robotics for several reasons, as the technology helps to support an application’s energy efficiency. We see automation being incorporated in reshoring and nearshoring plant designs, and helping to maximize investments through artificial intelligence and digital-transformation improvements. The multiple robot offerings on the market and ease of use with standard tools such as Unified Robotics Control also are contributing factors. Unified robot control is a transformative technology that removes the need for a dedicated robot controller and software, instead using a Logix controller and Kinetix motion technology to directly control one or multiple robots.

4. How is the rest of the manufacturing process adapting to the use of more robotics?

Because robotics technology has continued to evolve, robots are being deployed both as fixed assets into a process, and also into flexible workcells. Depending on a customer’s application and process, many new machine designs now incorporate robotics—into flexible workcells, for example, that can be moved and modified. This allows manufacturers to perform changeovers for multiple SKUs throughout their process.  Rockwell Automation has deployed this level of flexible manufacturing and robotics at its headquarters facility in Milwaukee, WI, for a high-SKU production line to help bring a connected manufacturing enterprise to life.

5. With all of the concepts discussed here, how can you simplify and reduce the burden of simultaneously implementing multiple strategies?

Most often, success starts with focusing on the challenge(s) being addressed and leveraging the capabilities offered to piece together an ideal solution. However, configuring a solution can be difficult to do alone. The Rockwell Automation New Capacity Team and its PartnerNetwork of machine builders, system integrators, EPCs and distributors provide a one-source solution. Additional capabilities include veteran training programs, digital transformation support, cybersecurity solutions and more.

Visit the Rockwell Automation Smart Manufacturing website, www.rockwellautomation.com/en-us/capabilities/smart-manufacturing.html, and attend the Rockwell Automation premier event, Automation Fair 2025, in Chicago, IL, Nov 17-20. MF

Industry-Related Terms: Model
View Glossary of Metalforming Terms

 

See also: Rockwell Automation

Technologies: Pressroom Automation

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