Advanced Manufacturing in the Age of Digital Transformation
LI CHANG
Boeing
TARIK DICKENS
Florida A&M University-Florida State University College of Engineering
The synergy of past manufacturing-enabling revolutions has made pathways for highly efficient systems of the future. The industrial and information revolutions have merged into a fourth industrial revolution known as the digital age, in which information is ubiquitous. The culmination of these two streams is called “Industry 4.0.” The expanse of this fourth industrial revolution is signified in the National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges, through which wide applicability and engineering solutions can transform the societal landscape. This is a new frontier to imagine the possibilities of 22nd century manufacturing, with smart, more agile, resilient, and customizable systems to meet the needs of the world’s growing populations.
The first speaker, Gabriel Burnett (Boeing), introduced the future of Boeing’s production system with a focus on applications of data analytics, autonomy, model-based engineering, and machine learning.1 Boeing is moving away from a document-centric system to become a model-based enterprise. Hardware advances are enabling data collection, and computing advances allow the data to be leveraged across the value stream to enhance business value. The next speaker, Christapher Lang (National Aeronautics and Space Administration Langley Research Center), discussed the use of computational modeling in the sequencing of digital manufacturing, focusing on metal additive manufacturing. Christian Hubicki (Florida State University and Florida A&M University) described novel directions of bioinspired robots for the future of digital manufacturing. Finally, Pamela Kobryn (Air Force Research Laboratory) presented the digital twin
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1 Paper not included in this volume.
concept as applied to aircraft to boost efficiency, reduce costs, increase agility, and better manage maintenance schedules according to both past and projected operational needs.
