Since the start of the year, American manufacturing has received trillions of dollars in investment - from private companies, the federal government and foreign investors. At the same time, the manufacturing sector accounts for more than half of all private spending on research and development in the US.
This was described by Ilya Kovalenko, an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering at Pennsylvania State University (Penn State). According to him, manufacturers are betting on artificial intelligence (AI) - a technology that allows machines to perform tasks that usually require human thinking. With its help, advanced robots and simulation systems are being created that can improve the safety and efficiency of factories. Such a pace of development would be impossible without unprecedented support for the industry, he noted.
At the end of the 20th century, the US lost a significant part of its production abroad and now depends on other countries for the output of goods. However, over the past 5-10 years, the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain disruptions have clearly shown the importance of domestic capacity. That is why a powerful campaign is now under way to bring manufacturing back to the country (reshoring).
American industry is based on small family businesses, which are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the flow of orders. The US lags behind many countries in output volumes, so large-scale research and workforce training are needed. One path is automation and AI: robots and tools take on repetitive and routine tasks for which there is not enough staff.
Factories have a lot of dirty, boring and dangerous work. To avoid exposing people to toxic substances and risk, automation makes work safer, faster and cheaper. In his research, Kovalenko studies how AI provides flexibility and adaptability in production: systems must quickly reconfigure to customer requests or the needs of the enterprise. Smart robots allow the system's behavior to be changed dynamically and the needed goods to be produced more efficiently.
In addition, factories are acutely short of trained workers. Automation partly relieves the burden and creates safer systems where robots collaborate with people on the shop floor. Manufacturers are considering custom automated complexes and humanoid robots. The technologies open up possibilities ranging from 3D printing of large structures to new methods of small-scale production for future semiconductors and the modernization of foundries.
Universities such as Penn State train students of different ages and levels - from undergraduates to doctoral students - in practical classes with examples from industry. This is important so that engineers can work effectively with the equipment of factories of the future. Academic researchers also advance ideas in AI and industrial automation, tackling problems for which companies lack resources.
In the next 10-15 years, Kovalenko expects systems capable of thinking dynamically and adapting to changing conditions - from a customer adjusting specifications to the weather outside the window. This will help reduce waste and energy consumption. Another interesting direction is managing production beyond the shop floor, for example making products while in transit. All these ideas concern adaptability, resilience and flexibility.