American manufacturing is at a noteworthy and exciting convergence of three powerful trends that can provide an opportunity for growth in industry.
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• Traditional manufacturing as we’ve known it may be fading, but there remains a legacy of innovation that can serve as a basis basis for future growth.
• Post-recession companies are growing again. The resulting profitability will provide the resources for industry to innovate and stretch its capabilities.
• The methods and approaches of the digital age are increasing the efficiency and profitability of companies that apply digital tools wisely.
Based on discussions with industry representatives throughout the world, modeling and simulation will become an integral component in manufacturers’ best practices. Other countries understand the value of modeling and simulation and are investing in it. The governments of China, India, and Korea, for example, have established formal initiatives to increase the use of modeling and simulation by small and midsized manufacturers, specifically to improve the productivity of their manufacturing sectors. If U.S. manufacturing is to be globally competitive, it must take the lead in applying these world-class best practices.
By adopting new technologies and approaches, particularly in modeling and simulation and its benefits, U.S. manufacturers can create new products, achieve more efficiency, and create innovative designs and materials. Every manufacturer, large or small, should be able to apply digital tools to increase the efficiency of their operations and functions, and develop innovative products and technologies that will keep them agile and robust.
As a powerful digital tool, modeling and simulation has been applied by large companies for decades to save millions of dollars, but the cost of hardware, software licenses, and trained engineers have prevented many smaller companies from achieving the benefits of simulation software. But that is about to change.
Manufacturing and Polymer Portal open the doors of innovation to all
In 2006, PolymerOhio Inc. and the Ohio Supercomputer Center recognized the significant value that small and midsized companies can gain through modeling and simulation, and collaborated to make the technology easily accessible and affordable. A prototype “portal” was designed to offer expensive modeling and simulation software and training at affordable, pay-per-use prices—delivered to the engineer’s desktop or laptop.
In 2010, the team received a competitive award from the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop the portal through a pilot project focusing on the Ohio polymer industry. The pilot portal was successful and is now moving to the next phase to make its resources available across the United States to all types of manufacturers.
A newly designed website, the Manufacturing and Polymer Portal, is now online with an array of modeling and simulation software and other digital tools to help U.S. companies improve their businesses. Tools supporting welding, supply chain management, strategic planning, and production scheduling as well as simulations for plastics extrusion and injection molding are available. More tools will be added frequently to expand the selection of software, computational methods, digital resources, and training.
The Manufacturing and Polymer Portal’s objective is to accelerate the acceptance of simulation by helping smaller companies understand the value in applying digital tools, and to provide these tools through an easy-to-use, affordable mechanism. The portal works to help all U.S. manufacturers recognize the benefits of using modeling and simulation tools.
More information about the launch of the Manufacturing and Polymer Portal can be found here as well as at manufacturingportal.org. Additional information about what is on the portal, how to access the tools, and what is planned for the future can be obtained through an archived webinar.
Article by Rich Markham. First published Aug. 5, 2013, on NIST’s Manufacturing Innovation Blog.
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