Keynote Case Study: CMTS: The Future of Manufacturing Was Arriving Faster Than Expected.

Opening CMTS 2017 in Toronto, I challenged Canadian manufacturers to recognize the speed of Industry 4.0. My message emphasized robotics, the digital factory, 3D printing, rapid prototyping and the need to build agility and flexibility into manufacturing strategy.

The keynote, “The Future of Manufacturing,” Small and mid-sized manufacturers needed to understand major technologies early, even when adoption would begin with small experiments.

Small and mid-sized manufacturers needed to understand major technologies early, even when adoption would begin with small experiments.

Six trends are shaping that shift.

• Robotics. Industrial robotics continue to improve productivity, precision and operating flexibility.
• 3D Printing. Additive manufacturing accelerates prototyping and opens new approaches to production.
• Digital Factory. Production environments become increasingly software-driven, connected and data-rich.
• Rapid Prototyping. Manufacturers can test ideas faster and move concepts toward production more quickly.
• Agile Adoption. Smaller manufacturers can experiment through partners and external technology platforms.
• New Business Models. Flexible production capabilities create opportunities to serve customers in entirely new ways.

The future of advanced manufacturing is robotic, additive, digital and increasingly agile.

Opening a manufacturing show is a chance to set the tone for everything that follows — and in Toronto that meant telling the room that Industry 4.0 wasn’t coming someday. It was already at the door. You can explore more keynote case studies here.