What are advanced manufacturing technologies?

01 Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, has become the banner of a new round of industrial revolution. It's clearly different than before and available to professionals and hobbyists alike, but additive manufacturing is just one of a series of emerging technologies that promise to revolutionize the way a lot of things are made in the coming years. Even additive manufacturing is not limited to 3D printing.

An emerging process called "cold spraying" involves spraying metal particles through a nozzle. Due to the high speed, these particles will combine with each other to form shapes. By precisely controlling the nozzle, machine operators can create three-dimensional metal objects such as gears, just as they would with a 3D printer. Objects appear to be drawn by spray painting, even if they are made of unusual metals such as titanium.

02 Sensing, Measurement and Process Control

Almost all advanced manufacturing technologies have one thing in common: they are driven by computers that process huge amounts of data. That’s why things that capture and record data are so important—sensors to monitor humidity, GPS trackers to determine location, calipers to measure material thickness, etc. These devices are not only increasingly used to make smartphones smart, but also make smart, flexible, reliable, and efficient manufacturing technologies possible.

In a modern factory, sensors not only help guide increasingly agile machines but also provide the information needed to manage operations throughout the factory. Products can be tracked from birth to delivery, and in some cases beyond. During this process, once a problem occurs, such as when the humidity in the spray booth is not suitable for spraying, the sensor will detect it and send an alarm signal to the machine operator or even the factory manager's mobile phone.

03 Material design, synthesis and processing

New machines will require new materials, and new materials will make it possible to manufacture new machines. The development of coatings, composites and other materials is accelerating as advances emerge that break down materials to the atomic or molecular level and can be manipulated with little need for lengthy laboratory procedures.

Learning from the widely recognized success of the Human Genome Project, the Department of Energy and other U.S. government agencies launched the Materials Genome Initiative last year. Its goal is to identify new materials and promote them. Cut the time to market in half.

Currently this process can take decades. For example, lithium-ion battery technology was first conceived by an Exxon employee in the 1970s, but it was not until the 1990s that Start commercializing. Part of the plan is to allow researchers in the field who are scattered around the world to share ideas and innovations.