The Smart Student's Guide to Smart Manufacturing and Industry 4.0

What if I told you millions of kids are missing out on rewarding careers - because they aren't aware of the fantastic opportunities Smart Manufacturing offers?

When many people think about manufacturing, they imagine noisy factories with hundreds of workers standing shoulder-to-shoulder doing repetitive work. Or of dirty, dark, and dangerous workplaces that rely more on muscle than on brains to get the job done. But a new industrial revolution called Industry 4.0 is changing everything you think you know about manufacturing!

Smart Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 are modern ways of producing products. The hundred-year-old mass-production paradigm is giving way to mass-customization powered by Augmented Reality, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and other exciting technologies. This change requires creative professionals to embrace various forms of automation to produce more personalized products in environmentally friendly factories.

This book gives students, parents, workforce development committees, and counselors a fresh perspective on manufacturing as a career path that offers a wealth of exciting business opportunities in a changing world. For workers looking to reskill or upskill, this book provides explanations of terminology, discussion topics, even examples of the technologies featured in popular films and movies. If you're looking for a career that builds the future, a job in Smart Manufacturing may be right for you!

CONTENTS

PREFACE: A FRESH LOOK AT MANUFACTURING.. 6

SECTION I: CURRENT STATE OF MANUFACTURING IN USA. 10

Chapter 1: The Elephant in the Room – Manufacturing Job Losses. 11

Chapter 2: Manufacturing Today. 15

SECTION II: TWO REASONS MANUFACTURING IS IMPORTANT. 17

Chapter 3: Manufacturing and National Defense. 18

Chapter 4: Manufacturing for Wealth Creation and Distribution. 21

SECTION III: ABOUT MANUFACTURING AND BUSINESS. 23

Chapter 5: Manufacturing Industries and Processes. 24

Chapter 6: Internet of Things, Industrial Internet of Things, Industry 4.0 – I'm So Confused. 27

Chapter 7: What Xactly is XaaS?. 32

SECTION IV: ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES: THE HARDWARE GADGETS AND GIZMOS. 35

Chapter 8: Industrial Networks and Cybersecurity. 36

Chapter 9: The Rise of the Robots. 41

Chapter 10: A Little Bit Here, A Little Bit There: Additive Manufacturing Matures. 45

Chapter 11: Sensor Prices Are Falling Down, Falling Down, Falling Down. 49

SECTION V: ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES: STODGY SOFTWARE AND COOL APPS. 53

Chapter 12: Big Data and Visualization of Information. 54

Chapter 13: Skip the Drugs, Alternative Realities Are Already Here. 57

Chapter 14: Artificial Intelligences Begin Their Ascent 60

Chapter 15: Digital Twins Mirror Reality. 65

Chapter 16: Blockchain: Applied Mathematics to Keep Us Honest 68

Chapter 17: Software Rules. 70

SECTION VI: FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE HUMAN ELEMENT. 75

Chapter 18: Soft Skills Never Go out of Fashion, But You Have to Keep Up. 76

Chapter 19: Getting into Manufacturing. 79

CONCLUSION. 83