This is a great article by the online Wall Street Journal on new digital manufacturing and how some of those technologies translate into new ways to manufacture products. We are not yet in an age of robot factories, but getting close as more digital fabrication methods in additive manufacturing like 3D printing are advancing in materials, quality, and the scale required.

One of these new highlighted manufacturing technologies is the Flyknit Nike running shoe using additive manufacturing by using machines that use pneumatics to control & knit threads in midair into the shoes upper portion. I saw this in action when they were in very early program development and I would not have believed it unless I had seen it myself. It was amazing, all these threads flowing around by pneumatics controlled by computers and the knitting taking place in front of your eyes.

Read the Article: Learn about some of the potential methods for leaner manufacturing in the future:
http://on.wsj.com/17kOz97

With digital design, simulation, and then some of the new manufacturing methods the manufacturing floor could be changing or new types added. Some manufacturing may be the same, but there may be new types of products able to be manufactured.

What do you think?