In 2012, the White House announced a new initiative designed to spur innovation in the country's manufacturing center. The first center in the set of fifteen expected locations is based on additive manufacturing, or three-dimensional printing. In May of 2012, the President of the United States announced a competition to create three new centers as part of the new National Network for Manufacturing Innovation. The executive branch plans to commit $200 million toward the creation of centers based on innovation in digital manufacturing and design innovation, lightweight and modern metals manufacturing, and next-generation power electronics manufacturing.
Workers in manufacturing may find the innovation coming from these centers integral to their jobs in the future, even though industry analysts have noted a lack of enthusiasm for the announcement. The center focused on digital manufacturing and design innovation is expected to fall under the purview of the Department of Defense. This center should help increase American innovation in the field of computer-assisted design and manufacture. This may help cut down on planning time and result in computer software and hardware that is able to handle much of the drafting and concept work in modern manufacturing.
The Department of Defense is also expected to spur on American innovation with a second center devoted to lightweight and modern metals manufacturing. Lightweight metals have extensive applications for both military use and civil infrastructure. Powerful new metal alloys could conceivably make buildings much stronger and more resistant to natural disasters while also cutting down on the time required for construction. Lightweight modern metals can also greatly contribute to the creation of tools and machinery designed for use on both the battlefield and construction sites.
The third center of the set announced by the White House is focused on next-generation power electronics manufacturing. Securing the nation's power grid against both natural disasters and man-made problems is of prime importance. The Department of Energy is overseeing this center, and its work could pave the way for a new generation of power electronics and management. This may lead to generators capable of producing far greater amounts of electricity or mechanical power with lessened fuel consumption, allowing them to power the construction tools and machinery of the future.
Which companies win the competition for the creation of the new centers could have a dramatic effect on how you perform your daily tasks in the manufacturing sector. Each center could spur on innovation and new techniques or tools in many different industries that rely heavily on manufacturing technology. These centers represent only a small portion of the overall National Network for Manufacturing Engineering, and further developments in the future could very well shape the methods used in manufacturing for years to come.
(Photo courtesy of ahmet guler / freedigitalphotos.net)
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