In the weld shop of Toyota’s huge Ontario plant, workers inspect the steel frame of a RAV4. The men raise their arms overhead as they move ultrasonic wands over metal to test the integrity of dozens of welds. Until a few months ago, this task was performed by seated workers wielding hammers and chisels. But the latest RAV4 uses a lighter, stronger steel that requires ultrasonic testing. A new frame arrives every 60 seconds. The prolonged reaching is shoulder-breaking work, the kind that can lead to debilitating injuries and decreased productivity. Continue reading →

A recent IndustryWeek survey (Nov. 6, 2018) found that manufacturers are having trouble joining the Fourth Industrial Revolution, called Industry 4.0. And the World Economic Forum (WEF) found that 7 out of 10 manufacturers fail in pushing initiatives in big data analytics, A.I., and additive manufacturing.

But there is hope, the Forum asserts. They scoured the planet and after vetting 1,000 manufacturers, selected 9 “lighthouses” (listed below) with a solid Industry 4.0 strategy. “These pioneers have created factories that have 20-50% higher performance and create a competitive edge,” says a McKinsey exec. “They have agile teams with analytics, IoT and software development expertise that are rapidly innovating.” Industry 4.0 is expected to deliver productivity gains over $3.7 trillion.

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