Page 56 - MetalForming-Apr-2018-issue

U.S. Auto Recap
The highly automated Ford Kentucky Truck Plant shows how technology continually drives auto-production evolution. Today, Industry 4.o is making serious inroads in the auto supply chain.
detection, return predictions, quality predictions, component genealogy tracking, predictive machine mainte- nance, product usage prediction, sup- plier performance, segmentation opti- mization and production optimization.”
To hear how such technology advances can impact metalformers and fabricators, and how your colleagues are employing these advancements successfully, read Internet of Things for Metalformers and Fabricators, in this issue beginning on page 38. And, for details on MetalForming magazine’s IoT for Metalformers and Fabricators conference, April 18-19, 2018, in Nashville, TN, visit www.metalform- ingmagazine.com/iot.
Get the Auto Low-Down at APSC
Against this unique and shifting backdrop, suppliers will convene in Detroit, MI, April 25-26 for the Preci- sion Metalforming Association’s Auto- motive Parts Suppliers Conference. Cel- ebrating its 25th year, the conference provides educational sessions, net- working and group discussion on the latest advancements and outlook for the automotive industry. It’s an ideal forum for CEOs, presidents, owners and other senior-level automotive-sec- tor executives to obtain timely auto- motive-industry trend analysis; hear production forecasts that can be used to develop marketing plans; network with automotive-supplier peers; benchmark; and discuss strategic trends and changing conditions in the automotive market.
The conference welcomes a spec- trum of industry experts speaking on important automotive topics:
• Joe Langley, an economist with IHS, summarizes the IHS Automotive Light Vehicle Production Forecast, which spans more than 50 countries, 600 plants and 2300 models over a 7-year forecast horizon.
• Business advisor Lawrence D. Burns, Ph.D, in his presentation, New Age of Mobility, describes how the free- dom and independence provided by today’s automobiles is being redefined.
of their actual business-process defi- nitions,” they write. “Unfortunately, this approach can cause the updated QMS to appear foreign and complex to colleagues in the organization responsible for business, operations and management processes...they may not respond efficiently and accurately to the auditor during onsite interviews and QMS reviews. This can increase the risk of cited nonconformities.”
Click the Online Exclusives tab at www.metalformingmagazine.com for the full article, and tips and tricks on how to successfully navigate the transition.
3D printing could bring supply chain closer to customers. More than just supplying replacement parts, 3D printing promises much more to vehi- cle manufacturers and suppliers. This includes potentially greater customiza- tion in the vehicle specification and manufacturing process, reduction in lifecycle costs and relocation of the supply chain closer to customers.
“I believe a consequence of the emergence of 3D printing will be a reduction in supply-chain distribution costs,” writes G. David Gerrard, man- aging partner of Cornerstone Growth Advisors, in an opinion piece in Trans- port Topics. “You won’t have the cost of having to first manufacture and then
ship parts across the country. You can print the part closer to where it is need- ed and eliminate a portion, or all, of the warehousing and distribution. This will bring the supply chain closer to the end user, where parts procurement is more ‘on demand.’”
IoT, blockchain and more. Technol- ogy developments within the past five years involving the Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, mixed reality and blockchain will shape supply-chain tends in 2018 and beyond. That’s accord- ing to Anant Kadiyala, director of blockchain and IoT industry solutions at Oracle, in a Manufacturing Business Technology article at mbtmag.com. Sup- ply-chain applications include end-to- end visibility, product tracking, fraud, settlements, compliance, productivity, worker safety and delivery speed.
One trend he speaks to is adaptive intelligence: “Machine learning is no longer the esoteric technology of yes- teryear. For example, built-in analytical models can predict customer demand for a new product launch. This accurate understanding of the demand curves helps with accurate supply level plan- ning. In 2018 we will see adaptive intel- ligence across a variety of enterprise situations. Some of the expected sce- narios are behavior order anomaly
54 MetalForming/April 2018
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