Have you ever heard that the manufacturing industry is dead? That’s actually one of the top manufacturing myths today.
In fact, American manufacturing accounts for more than 10% of the GDP in the country.
That myth and others could cause you to make costly business decisions based on bad data. Don’t make bad decisions, just keep reading.
We’re busting the most common manufacturing myths around.
- Manufacturing Is a Dead End Career
There have been stories in the media for years about manufacturing layoffs and the manufacturing industry moving to cheaper countries. Plus, robots are taking over the industry.
That leads most people to think that there’s no future in American manufacturing. Manufacturing isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that we need more ways to manufacture goods here in the U.S. That will cut down on shipping delays and supply chain issues.
What you do need to understand is that the industry is changing. The use of smart manufacturing processes that use automation and artificial intelligence is increasing.
The types of jobs in manufacturing are changing. There won’t be a great need for floor workers, but there will be a huge demand for engineers to manage and maintain the plant.
- 3D Printing Lets Anyone Manufacture Anything
One of the most recent manufacturing myths is that 3D printing lets people sitting at home create anything they want. That would essentially eliminate the need for manufacturing.
3D printing doesn’t replace the need for manufacturing. If you want to produce goods on a large scale, 3D printers can’t do that.
3D printers excel at rapid prototyping. You can see and touch the end product without having to develop expensive manufacturing processes. Click here for more about 3D prototyping.
- Everything Is Made in China
It’s no secret that China is a manufacturing powerhouse. It is the biggest manufacturing country in the world, but that doesn’t mean that everything gets made in China.
If you look at the world’s exports, you’ll see that China made up only 16% in 2018. That’s a slight increase from 2008.
In the European Union, China is the largest supplier of goods, but it only supplies 19% of them. That’s far from manufacturing everything.
- Manufacturing Hurts the Environment
Manufacturing processes changed a lot over the last several decades. Gone are the dangerous processes that put employees and the environment at risk.
Companies made commitments to create more efficient types of manufacturing that benefit the environment. They also benefit the company’s bottom line because there’s less waste.
Debunking Manufacturing Myths
Did you learn a lot about the manufacturing industry? It’s full of myths and misconnections. It’s certainly a changing and dynamic industry.
It’s far from dead. These manufacturing myths showed that there’s a lot of misinformation that needs to be debunked. This article got the ball rolling by showing you that manufacturing in America is thriving.
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