Digital Manufacturing Solutions to Enhance Productivity, Quality and Security
The technological foundations of advanced manufacturing continue to evolve rapidly as sensing, cloud computing and storage, and next-generation controllers are introduced everywhere in the manufacturing ecosystem. We will present some of the technical concepts and business models that will enable new technologies and capabilities in the manufacturing sector to be deployed rapidly throughout the U.S. industrial base. We also will share insights into next-generation resilient production operations and business models that favor local and point of assembly manufacturing. As an example of efforts at Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), we will highlight democratization of manufacturing efforts by focusing on the integration of real-time sensor data via edge/fog/cloud operations as applied to state-of-the-art hot wire laser hybrid (additive and subtractive) manufacturing processes.
Both design and manufacturing issues will be addressed as they relate to improved control of next generation production systems. The hybrid system is an ideal platform for digital integration as it combines newer metal additive processes with classical machining capabilities. The talk will conclude with a discussion on some of the more pragmatic issues related to cybersecurity, providing practical methods of protecting critical hardware infrastructure, as digital manufacturing is dependent on a connected machine, plant and supply chain.