These days, the phrase “game changing” is so overused that it’s become the go-to hyperbole for any tech development that slightly moves the needle in a given field. However, every so often the industry experiences a genuine tectonic shift that leaves the landscape permanently altered in its wake. 
More than a century ago, the Industrial Revolution spurred one of the most dramatic shifts in human history from primarily man-made manufacturing to the dawn of machinery. Today, the demand for even greater efficiency has introduced yet another potential landmark in the history of innovation – the proliferation of digital manufacturing.
Through the use of advanced software and data, digital manufacturing enables companies to make smarter business decisions. Computer-based systems present a 3D view of products and the manufacturing life-cycle that engineers can use to define and improve manufacturing processes. Digital manufacturing also adjusts for process capabilities and limitations, helping businesses to save both time and money.
The origins of digital manufacturing
During the early 1980s, the idea of computer-integrated manufacturing soared. Computer-aided design (CAD) and engineering (CAE) along with enterprise resource planning (ERP) burst onto the scene in an effort to enhance product quality, operational flexibility and time to market. With the rise of the Internet, manufacturers began looking for ways to digitally store growing amounts of operational product data. Product life-cycle management software systems soon emerged, giving manufacturers the opportunity to carry out simulations as well as carefully designing and creating products as efficiently as possible. These technologies and applications revolutionized the manufacturing industry and set the stage for digital manufacturing labs across the country.
Digital manufacturing labs today
With a penchant for delivering data-driven solutions, the U.S. Department of Defense made a strong commitment to digital manufacturing by awarding more than $100 million in federal research grants to manufacturing institutes in Chicago and Detroit. With the help of top universities and corporate partners, these new hubs for digital innovation are advancing the industry.
In the same way that the famous Bell Labs in New York used applied research to bring about the transistor, laser and fax machine, today’s digital manufacturing labs hope to develop the innovations of tomorrow. With the recent establishment of four national manufacturing competitions, digital manufacturing is growing faster than ever before. The hope is that these events will help revitalize American manufacturing by delving into new technologies such as wearable devices and 3D printing.
With increased demand for more efficient and consistent production processes, computer-aided technologies may have first made their way into manufacturing decades ago, but as the technology becomes more sophisticated and accessible, its impact is felt more keenly all the time. Considered by many to be the next step in the evolution of the industry, digital manufacturing applications have helped launch a wide array of groundbreaking technologies, with no sign of the march of progress slowing down.
What are your opinions on Digital Manufacturing? Is it a genuine game-changer, or are there other, more exciting developments on the horizon? Share your thoughts in the comments section below...
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