We’ll be looking at some of the drawbacks in this article. First, though, we must consider the benefits that manufacturing technology can bring.
Benefits of Manufacturing Technology Manufacturing technology consists of a spectrum that ranges from software such as cloud ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and computer-aided design (CAD) systems to physical devices like 3D printers and production line robots. Collectively, these technologies can produce many benefits, including the following:
Quality Improvement and the Reduction in Human Error Manufacturing technology systems typically have configuration options to promote and enforce quality control standards for production and industrial processes. Manufacturing facilities can gain from implementing these settings through a reduction in product defects, production line mishaps, and various other costly inefficiencies.
With systems relying on automation and robotics, human involvement is typically minimized — and with it, the natural human tendency to make mistakes. This is especially true with operations that require continuous repetition or a degree of precision that would tax a human operative.
Cost Reductions Manufacturing technologies can increase productivity and process efficiency while reducing or even eliminating waste. This translates into savings on materials, time, and resources (if the system is well calibrated and energy-efficient). Enhanced and more efficient production can lead to greater profits for the enterprise.
Reduced Time to Market The use of manufacturing technology can accelerate production, enabling organizations to get products or components out to market in much less time. With automation and optimized processes dramatically reducing production time between product batches, the business can increase its profits and competitive edge.
Negative Impact of Manufacturing Technology
Manufacturing technology presents a number of disadvantages. Chief among them are:
Environmental Degradation due to High-Tech Manufacturing New manufacturing technologies typically introduce new processes or new materials — and with them, the possibility of new environmental and safety problems. Examples of this already exist.
For instance, the deployment of large-scale smart machinery has allowed oil drilling and mining operations to expand into areas of the environment that were previously protected from such activities, resulting in damage and degradation. Exposure to unusual solvents and rare earth materials by high-tech workers has led to safety concerns. And developments in nanotechnology have resulted in pollution from minuscule plastic particles in the oceans, waterways, and even the human body. The long-term impact of these particles has yet to be fully understood.
Negative Impact of Manufacturing Technology: Security Vulnerabilities Another of the negative effects of technology is that its deployment can make organizations tempting targets for industrial espionage, intellectual property theft, or sabotage, while at the same time rendering them vulnerable to cybercrime and the activities of hackers.
Networked devices and components of the Internet of Things or IoT are especially vulnerable, as each device in the network potentially provides a different entry point into the system that hackers can take advantage of.
Privacy and Confidentiality Concerns By collecting data about customer needs and behavior, companies can effectively target their advertising and promotions. However, many consumers consider this kind of record-keeping a violation of their privacy, raising a number of legal issues. Similarly, businesses that use technology to monitor employee behavior and performance face both confidentiality questions and run the risk that this type of surveillance can create a hostile work environment.
Collection and storage of this kind of information also play into the security vulnerability issues concerning workplace technology. Customer records and employee profiles constitute a potential treasure trove for industrial competitors and identity thieves alike.
Negative Impact of Manufacturing Technology: High and Escalating Investment Requirements One of the bad effects of technology that applies in all sectors is the desire always to have the newest and best gadgets and systems available. Unfortunately, the latest technological innovations are generally the most expensive. So organizations wanting to buy into the cutting edge must be prepared to budget a large amount, to make this possible.
Negative Impact of Manufacturing Technology and trends in manufacturing technology New technologies such as production line robots or the latest digital design and fabrication systems require considerable upfront investment and an investment in skills training or acquisition, management, and maintenance. This level of expenditure first creates a barrier to entry, which may exclude smaller organizations from acquiring technology in the first place. It then establishes a financial commitment level that can inhibit cash-strapped companies from updating their technology further down the line.
Job Losses due to Automation Much is made of robotics and automation’s ability to perform repetitive tasks and take on jobs that might prove too physically taxing or dangerous for humans to handle. And while it’s true that even in automated systems, people are still employed to handle tasks that the machines cannot manage and tend to the machines themselves, the fact is that automated machines often replace skilled labor.
Human workers must typically set the machine controls in an automated operation, oversee production quality, and perform any maintenance required on the machinery. But as manufacturing automation technology evolves, these workers now require a higher level of training and education than in the past, limiting the number of candidates who can take on these roles.
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