Manufacturers need to create more production setups as batch sizes get smaller. Skilled labor continues to be hard to hire and keep. Higher levels of automation are needed, not just in material handling but also in fabricating, machining, assembly, and inspection.
Most manufacturing executives participating in a survey said cybersecurity threats are beginning to overwhelm their resources.
In manufacturing, potentially flammable and hazardous chemicals such as acetone and isopropyl alcohol are often stored in 55-gallon or larger drums for dispensing into smaller containers or at the point of use.