Page 2 - Machines Italia Vol. XIII Next Generation Manufacturing

COMMISSIONER’S LETTER
Italy Supports Smart Manufacturing for
The Next Generation
In the midst of a global pandemic the need for better trained workers is paramount.
Manufacturers do not have the luxury of stopping their business, even in the midst of a once-in-a-generation pandemic like the current one caused by the coronavi- rus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). Many of the trends that
were prevalent before the outbreak are now accelerating, especially automation and using data in unprecedented ways. Training workers also remains keenly important. In what follows, we’ll show how solu- tions provided by Italian companies are helping suppliers worldwide, including in North America, to cope with the crisis brought around by the pandemic and with old challenges alike.
Italian automation expertise already enables companies to make very advanced products, such as for instance high-quality ceramics or high- technology rocket parts cut from lasers, by supplying entire production lines or single key pieces of automated equipment. The challenges of automation, especially when it comes to programming, are now being addressed with advanced human-machine interfaces and sophisticated software. As the world demands that manufacturers increase the variety of their products, they are making smaller batch sizes with these tools.
Manufacturing in North America needs to be automated in part to address the shortage of qualified personnel. While a part of the gap can be filled by easier to use software, apprenticeship programs for certain precision processes are still needed to meet demanding tolerances, like the blanking process pioneered by an Italian company. Augmented reality devices are now more widely used to “teleport” training. Thus, old techniques are not replaced by new but enhanced by them.
Heavy machinery, an Italian specialty, is also being transformed through the use of electronics, data, and computerization. Yet, even smarter equipment must remain robust and capable to plant, till, crush stone and grind asphalt. From clearing mine fields in Bosnia Herzegovina to creating fire breaks during the 2019-20 Australian wildfires, Italian
This issue of Machines Italia
shows how Italian companies are helping bring smart technologies and train smart workers to North America
equipment gets the job done. In fact, two dealers from the USA were so impressed they acquired an Italian agricultural equipment maker, remark- ing not only on the sophisticated equipment but also on the dedication of a motivated workforce, which most often makes a crucial difference.
These same heavy machinery companies are advancing autonomous vehicle technology. An industrial company that pioneered it in mining equipment is applying it now to motor vehicles and an agricultural equip- ment company is using it to help farmers and the environment with preci- sion land management. Autonomous vehicle technology vastly increases a farmer’s ability to improve profitability through remote software updates, diagnostics and data integration as well as increasing machine uptime.
The emergence of ‘big data’ analysis and Industry 4.0 are driving opportunities to use data in new ways. Factories can collect, analyze and use data to identify problems, improve operations and even predict when maintenance is needed. An Italian company has developed the gold standard for variable-size, variable-thickness slab and tile manufacturing by leveraging its own original information flow system. In this issue’s keynote article by Thomas Kurfess, Chief Manufacturing Officer, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the eminent scholar also explores some of the trends that will affect the future of smart manufacturing, i.e. digital twin technology, knowledge capture, increasing connectivity and ubiquitous sensing that feeds big data sets to artificial intelligence and machine learning.
All of these trends, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, prompted manufacturing firms to make immediate changes to pro- cesses and, in some cases, products but also to seriously consider long term equipment changes and realignments in the supply chain. Italian companies are there when needed to help in this transition.
I invite you to thoroughly read this issue of Machines Italia. You will gain the sort of detailed information and insights that may serve to improve and expand your manufacturing business.
Sincerely,
Marco Saladini
Trade Commissioner—Chicago
Volume XIII | machinesitalia.org | 1-888-italtrade
Machines Italia
magazine
NEXT GENERATION MANUFACTURING SMART DATA | SMART AUTOMATION | SMART WORKERS
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Volume XIII | www.machinesitalia.org