en.Wedoany.com Reported - Rockwell Automation and the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) have jointly released a technical report titled "Smart Manufacturing in the Automotive Industry: Deployment and Impact," exploring how artificial intelligence, machine learning, and advanced automation technologies are reshaping production processes in the automotive, tire, and battery industries. The report indicates that the industry has entered a mature stage in technology adoption, with manufacturers shifting their focus from whether smart manufacturing is feasible to the speed and breadth of its implementation.

The report notes that while areas such as body-in-white, painting, and welding have achieved a high degree of automation, a new wave of investment is focusing on areas that have traditionally been more difficult to automate, including electronic component assembly, validation processes, production coordination, and logistics. At the same time, the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning has improved predictive maintenance capabilities, enhancing inspection accuracy and system operational performance. Edgar Faler, Senior Analyst and Strategy Lead for Advanced Mobility at CAR, stated that the industry has established a solid automation foundation, and companies that accelerate the adoption of data technologies to manage complexity and support decision-making are gaining a clear competitive advantage. The report suggests that the increasing complexity of production environments, rising cost pressures, higher warranty requirements, and competitive demands in a tight labor market are collectively driving a reshoring strategy enabled by automation.

This report combines CAR's analysis with data from Rockwell Automation's 11th Annual Smart Manufacturing Report, revealing quantifiable performance metrics. James Glasson, Vice President of Global Automotive, Tire, and Advanced Mobility at Rockwell Automation, believes that the ability to identify problems early and optimize performance at scale has become a key competitive differentiator. However, the report also warns that the gap within the industry is widening: differences in the speed of technology adoption are leading to significant divergence in quality and productivity, directly impacting the long-term viability and competitiveness of suppliers.