How CMM Automation Helped Save Manufacturing in North America

By Staff Reporter - 10 Mar '20 22:40PM
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  • How CMM Automation Helped Save Manufacturing in North America
  • (Photo : Unsplash)

The reports of the death of the North American manufacturing sector were almost right... Almost.

The number of manufacturing jobs has actually been trending upwards over the last few years. This is not a blip on the radar-this is a revival. 

The North American manufacturing sector has added more employees every year since 2011. Ironically enough, the catalyst for this change has been the very thing that was supposed to be the deathblow: automation.

If you're looking to cut costs at your facility via automation, feel free to stop by Canadian Measurement Metrology to see what coordinate measuring machines (CMM) can do for you.

From the Brink of Death

It's no secret that North America was an undisputed manufacturing superpower for years. It's also no secret that they have lost millions of jobs to market shifts over the years.

The US closed the 20th century with over 17 million manufacturing jobs. However, advances in technology and a major financial crisis were major factors in that number dropping to a new low of about 11 million jobs in 2010.

Those numbers have steadily climbed over the last 20 years, and automation has been key to the resurgence.

Machines Helping People

Most people assumed that machines would someday completely replace humans in a factory or industrial setting. However, the opposite has been true for the last few years.

The addition of automation, such as CMM, has helped companies keep their costs low, while also helping them keep their facilities (and the jobs that go with them) on North American soil.

Machines are not replacing humans. They're making operations more affordable and more efficient. This keeps jobs here and even creates new ones.

Industry 4.0

The manufacturing sector is at the cusp of another massive shift that will change the landscape yet again.

Industry 4.0 (also called the Fourth Industrial Revolution) will put a higher than ever focus on things like:

  • Automation

  • Smart manufacturing

  • Smart factories

  • The Internet of Things

The companies that are able to incorporate the 4 elements above will be the ones that prosper and survive-and the shift has already begun.

For example, when CMMs were first introduced into factories, they performed quality assurance checks on every part that came off of the line and ensured that every dimension was flawless. This was an automation game-changer. But if irregularities or defects occurred, human intervention was required to find the problem.

Now, CMM technology can detect an issue, diagnose what went wrong, and carry out any follow-up steps. This takes human employees out of traditionally-time-consuming quality assurance roles, and allows them to spend their time where they're more valuable.

This is not the ending that anyone would have predicted in the man vs. machine saga. However, it's certainly a happy ending. 

Machines are actually creating jobs for human beings, instead of replacing them. They're also making North American facilities more cost-effective, which has repositioned them in the global marketplace.

The good news is that these trends are expected to continue into the Industry 4.0 world.

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* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of newseveryday.com

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