2020 is only a few weeks old, and yet, there are already early indicators that heavy machinery will be steadily increasing in production and usage throughout the decade. With the continuing rise of global commerce, combined with the power of Artificial Intelligence and various automation functionality, many machinery companies are feeling confident that business is going to be booming in the coming years.
Michael Tyrrell – contributor to Production Engineering Solutions – notes that big machine company executives are excited about the future prospects. He reports that Alan Mucklow, managing director UK/Ireland sales division at Yamazaki Mazak, said: “2019 has been an excellent year for machine orders in the UK, with a continuation of the recovery in the oil and gas sector, a strong showing in aerospace and a resilient general subcontracting base that has continued to invest in new technology. I’m also delighted with the performance of our laser division, which continues to build its position in the UK market.” The UK and Ireland are not alone. Many other counties in the developed world are also on board to invest in new machinery.
New technology is constantly evolving and replacing the technology of yesteryear in fascinating ways. Some of these evolutions were anticipated while others caught certain segments of the manufacturing industry completely off guard. Howard Larue of Machinery Observer notes that, “The rise in adoption and utilization of real-time information access is promoting the use of Internet of Things or IoT-enabled devices. This is because IoT devices provide cost and energy efficiency and are capable of tracking the energy consumed, thus providing greater visibility on product schedule optimization and saving energy.” Click here for the full article.
Advances in technology and engineering have been vital in expanding the potential of what big machinery can help accomplish. One major factor that has been particularly beneficial is the reduction of energy consumption in the creation, and more importantly, the performance of many big machines. The benefits go beyond saving money. As alternative energy sources become more widely available to construct and lend power to machines, the reliance on environmentally toxic energy sources dissipates. The net benefit of this paradigm shift in energy creates a cleaner planet with maximized cost efficiency. It’s a win-win scenario for companies and the general population alike.
