According to a report by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), manufacturers are accelerating the pace of investments in advanced and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, automation, and data analytics. The report states, “Digital technologies also present significant opportunities to enhance efficiencies, increase resilience and improve the bottom line. New technologies are being used to generate top-line growth by accelerating innovation and providing the data necessary to create new products and business models.”

Optomec is one of those companies driving digital transformation to deliver modern capabilities and efficiencies to customers. The additive manufacturing supplier is committed to developing synergies between hardware and software to enable a modern approach to digital automation and digital manufacturing across its product portfolio. This will provide customers with a cost-effective method of managing workloads and equipment, analyzing data and output, resulting in enhanced manufacturing process quality and efficiency.

Optomec aims to achieve its vision by focusing on three main areas:

1. Software Integration: A main driver of Industry 4.0 is the use of advanced technology in the form of software to create greater value throughout the manufacturing process. Within the next year, Optomec will integrate existing production control software into a unified enterprise-grade software management platform to deliver significant value to customers by using data, analytics, and extensible application programming interfaces (APIs) to enable cloud-based manufacturing execution systems (MES) and industrial IoT (IIoT) integration. Additionally, the implementation of new artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms with the enterprise software will leverage the collected data and make automated decisions to improve operational efficiencies in manufacturing workflows on Optomec systems.
2. LENS Directed Energy Deposition (DED) Additive Printing Solutions for Aerospace: Continuing with the recent introduction of an industry-first, fully automated work cell for the additive repair of turbine parts, Optomec will invest and add automation to the product line to maintain leadership. Three new standardized machines with tightly integrated hardware and software will be introduced this year that will expand the aerospace blade repair business and further differentiate the company from the competition.
3. Aerosol Jet Printing Solutions: Optomec’s printed electronics machines enable manufacturers to develop commonly used items such as medical devices, IoT devices, smartphones, and touchscreen displays, among others. Interest among manufacturers of personal electronics is increasing and rapid growth in the vertical is expected. As companies across industries re-imagine processes and products, Optomec will drive solution awareness in existing and new verticals with new go-to-market strategies and campaigns.

Additionally, the vision includes a renewed focus on research and development. Utilizing the existing team of scientists at the company’s development resource center in Minneapolis, MN, Optomec will continue its domain expertise and leadership by partnering with leading universities and pushing the boundaries of innovation to introduce new, industry-first products and capabilities.

“Embracing digital transformation is critical to remain relevant in a hypercompetitive market that is entering a new phase of industrialization,” said Robert Yusin, CEO of Optomec. “By evolving Optomec’s focus to meet the needs and standards of today’s digitally inclined customers, the company will continue its domain expertise and lead into the future.”

Optomec
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