What is the biggest barrier to wider adoption of digital manufacturing technologies?
Digital manufacturing could help reduce production costs and decrease time to market, but uptake of these enabling technologies seems slow in the UK.
The umbrella term covers everything from robotics, digital twins and Internet of Things/industry 4.0 sensor-and AI-equipped equipment to additive manufacturing and computer-aided design and manufacturing IT tools.
The Digital Catapult estimates that the UK economy could grow by £455bn, create 175,000 new jobs increase productivity and cut CO2 emissions via the early adoption of advanced digital technologies in the next decade.
So, what is hindering the adoption of digital manufacturing in Britain? According to our poll, 39 per cent see the cost of implementation/ROI as the biggest barrier, followed by 24 per cent who see problems with skills deficiencies. This view is followed closely by the 23 per cent of respondents who feel they lack adequate information about available technologies, then 14 per cent who feel that government and Tier 1 companies are failing to adequately support industry uptake by smaller suppliers.
Semantics appeared to be an issue for some who responded to the poll, with several wondering what ‘digital manufacturing’ means.
“The use of the term ‘digital’ is about as much use at the current vogue for calling every electronic device ‘tech’,” said Sandy.
“I agree that there is lots of confusion about what ‘digital manufacturing’ really means,” added Richard. “For me it is about using automation to streamline manufacturing and business processes to make them more efficient.”
What do you think? Keep the debate alive using Comments below, but please familiarise yourselves with our code of conduct.
Before we go, a plug for some related content that will be published soon. Late last year, The Engineer hosted a large-scale roundtable on digital manufacturing, supported by BAE Systems and involving organisations from the supply chain, through R&D, and all the way through to tier 1 manufacturers in the aerospace and automotive spheres. A write up of the discussion will be published in our February issue and online.
deliberate obfuscation of the term ‘digital’ for marketing purposes – yes you, James Dyson – doesn’t help
I asked some Dyson engineers what a digital motor was once. They had the good grace to look embarrassed.
The use of the tem ‘digital’ is about as much use at the current vogue for calling every electronic device ‘tech’.
We have moved the use of the term far from the original ‘ electronically-assisted’ manufacturing to the generic term ‘ digital’ and in doing so have distanced ourselves from actual hands-on engineering towards remote displays. Engineers seem no longer to feel and smell what they are doing and have become remote from the cutting edge.
The only real digital manufacturing is additive printing, all other methods can be achieved by analogue means. Therefore we need to narrow the definition of what we really mean by ‘ digital manufacturing’, apart from making fingers.
I agree that there is lots of confusion about what “digital manufacturing” really means. For me it is about using automation to streamline manufacturing and business processes to make them more efficient. The complete workflow from receiving customer orders through to products being delivered is automated; parts are manufactured, raw materials re-ordered, quality checks documented, etc without lots of manual intervention and delays etc. Depending on what you are making then it may be really critical to automate these processes to be efficient but in other cases then it simply won’t be cost effective.
WE didn’t! it was and is as usual the techno phobic and mathematically illiterate popular ‘meja’: who did. And we all know what outstanding attention to detail they always exhibit!
Perhaps the use of that word commenced when the first ‘digital’ watch/clock time-piece was introduced widely. I recall these were described (at least by my children) as ‘a digi’ and the idea of something which showed time as ‘numbers’ as opposed to the analogy of hands and a dial was born.
You are very old Mike! First digital clock was manufactured by Aktiengesellschaft für Uhrenfabrikation Lenzkirch in 1893/4. Joking aside, you are probably correct in that it stems from the digital watches of the 70’s.
Greetings, Yes, I am (78 and still counting) and I stand corrected.
The biggest barrier is one that’s not listed – it’s just way too slow and no use for anything but one off, custom components.
Here is a good and concise entry on Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_manufacturing
Here is a link to a much wider definition.
https://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/research/digital-manufacturing/what-is-digital-manufacturing/
With a number of example projects listed at. https://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/research/digital-manufacturing/digital-manufacturing-projects-at-ifm/
No wonder there is lots of confusion whether people are doing “it” or not. I think there are quite a few new tools that come under the umbrella of digital manufacturing. The challenge is working out which ones cost effectively apply to your business
thanks – yes that’s a good one, too
My perennial, and somewhat predictable response is – British industry needs to start taking responsibility for its own destiny.
Do the research. Perform the calcs. Invest in your people. Spend some money.
It is not the government’s job to do this for you. It isn’t the EU’s job to provide you with a plentiful supply of cheap and reasonably skilled labour. It isn’t the person-in-the-street’s job to invest in the skills that you need to be successful. It isn’t your employees’ or their families’ responsibilities to sacrifice home and family time to do for free, what you should be planning and paying for.
It is your responsibility to protect and promote your business – no one else’s.
But will you like the results when companies – Hitachi being the latest example – do crunch the numbers?