November, 2025- Augmenting human strength and ingenuity with mechanical power started with simple devices— the wheel, the lever, the pulley—and then evolved into the assembly line, robotics, additive manufacturing and digital modeling, creating the factories of the future.
When the Ford Motor Co. decided to implement the moving assembly line in 1913, the automaker unlocked efficiency by moving work to the workers. Vehicles were ferried down the line and built step by step. The new process allowed each Model T to be built in only 90 minutes. Today, Ford still is reinventing how vehicles are manufactured. According to the company, the Ford Universal EV Production System transforms the traditional assembly line into “a tree with three main branches.” The front and rear of the vehicle are assembled on separate lines, and “the third branch is the vehicle’s structural battery.”
“Advanced manufacturing is fundamentally changing what it means to design and build,” says Ryan Hawk, PwC Industrial Products and Services leader. “In fact, according to a new PwC survey of more than 500 C-suite leaders across the industrials and energy sectors, 93 percent believe we are on the brink of the next industrial revolution.”
Intelligent solutions can feature digital twin technology; big data- and generative AI-based management of quality, industrial safety and equipment; and various industrial robots. Source: LG Electronics
REINVENTION
A major advancement reshaping today’s landscape is the rise of intelligent systems that combine automation, AI and robotics, says Hawk. “These technologies are becoming the backbone of industrial competitiveness. Intelligent systems don’t just make production more efficient; they make it adaptive. they allow factories to recon figure, predict problems before they happen and optimize in real time. For OEMs, that means higher uptime and faster innovation cycles. With 81 percent of leaders in our survey planning to increase their investment in technology like advanced manufacturing and AI over the next three years, the companies that succeed will most likely be those who build intelligent systems now before their infrastructure falls behind.”
Robert Little, board member for the Association for Advancing Automation which represents more than 1,300 organizations involved in robotics, artificial intelligence, machine vision and imaging, motion control and motors, and related automation technologies says one of the biggest changes in manufacturing is autonomy robots handling more of the programming themselves.
“Smaller manufacturers tell us they like the idea of automation but worry about who will reprogram the robot every time the part changes. If you need an integrator every six months, that’s a deal breaker. Newer so ware and systems are tackling that. In welding, for instance, you can hand-guide the robot to a few points, and the robot fills in the rest using vision and force feedback. Combine that with digital twins and modeling, and you’ve got robots that are much easier to re-deploy. at opens the door for small and midsize shops to adopt robotics, not just the large OEMs.”
Little says it has been a “slow roll” but it’s obvious that the technology is getting smarter. “Robots used to be programmed point to point: go from A to B. envision systems came along and let a camera guide the robot to a part. Now, we’re seeing so ware that combines vision with other sensors so the robot can decide where to go without someone writing every line of code.”
This push toward low or no programming continues to improve. “You don’t have to be a programmer to run these systems, but you do need to understand how to operate the autonomous side. That shift makes automation easier to use while keeping people involved in the process,” Little notes.
In smart factories, robots are increasingly autonomous, handling more programming themselves.
FASTER, SMARTER AND RESILIENT
Hawk points out that companies are moving past incremental upgrades, focusing instead on full-scale reinvention, “and advancements like modular manufacturing and digital integration are giving OEMs new capabilities.” More modular operations contribute to the ability to recon gure production lines quickly and respond in real time.
“We’re also seeing OEMs invest in predictive maintenance, adaptive production scheduling and digital twin simulation, which enable supply chains to anticipate and respond to disruption,” says Hawk. “Companies are hardwiring resilience into their operations, as 32 percent of executives surveyed said they expect the majority of their supply chain to be self-healing by 2030.
“Advanced manufacturing isn’t just making processes faster. It’s creating smarter, more adaptive systems that allow OEMs to build equipment designed for a world where disruption is constant,” he says.
That type of investment and innovation is being seen from OEMs across industries, although both Hawk and Li le agree that automotive and aerospace are leading the charge. Deere & Co. noted in its 2024 annual report that it is relying on flexible assembly lines that can accommodate a wide product mix and expending “considerable effort” to reduce costs “through improvements in process, optimization of factories, including product line relocation, product design, advanced manufacturing technology, and supply management and logistics.”
Similarly, Hyundai Translead, a manufacturer of transportation equipment, last year opened a $20 million Innovation Lab housing advanced equipment technology, including a full trailer road simulator, static and fatigue testing equipment, an automated floor testing system and an engineering lab for material mechanical property testing, insulation performance and thermal conductivity, corrosion testing, and detailed material analysis capabilities.
The FY2024 Submarine Industrial Base Program Year in Review report from the U.S. Navy indicates the SIB program is making “significant gains in maturing and operationalizing advanced manufacturing technology across the industrial base. The Navy-Industry Team has made notable progress in maturing and scaling additive manufacturing with more than 150 submarine parts printed to-date at the Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence.” To date, the additively manufactured parts installed on submarines and surface ships have avoided more than 1,000 days of delay.
Large casting rear automotive part. Source: Volkswagen
The Navy also partnered with General Dynamics Electric Boat to invest in a purpose- built facility that incorporates Industry 4.0 technologies such as extended reality, cloud computing, autonomous robots, horizontal and vertical integration, and digital twin simulation. The facility will enable Navy ship contractor Austal USA to fabricate and outfit submarine modules by the end of 2026.
Hawk says that some sectors are transforming faster than others, but that “industries are aligning on the need for reinvention. Our survey shows industries like aerospace and defense and automotive are at the forefront. Compared to other industries, aerospace and defense leaders are more likely to be embracing intelligent manufacturing systems as well as data usage and digital integration to drive transformation by 2030.”
He says automotive leaders are leading the charge when it comes to modular manufacturing investments like flexible production line recon figuration and platform-based manufacturing. “What unites these industries is an understanding that advanced manufacturing is a competitive differentiator and a focus on scaling technology to make operations faster, smarter and more resilient.”
“Automotive is leading the way, especially in the United States,” agrees Little. “Final assembly stayed here, so automakers kept a strong manufacturing base and the resources to invest. They also have the scale and complexity that make automation pay off. Ford, for example, recently introduced a system where the car itself was designed around the ability to automate production. That shows how far things have come.”
Additive manufacturing has been a slower build, but it’s now moving from prototyping into low-volume production for complex shapes, Little says. “Aerospace is using it for lightweight, intricate parts.” He notes that digital modeling underpins all of this. “Whether it’s a digital twin or a model created through robotic vision, these tools let manufacturers plan, test and adjust processes in ways that weren’t possible before.”
Employees can use Industry 4.0 software to check and analyze processes.
Employees can use Industry 4.0 software to check and analyze processes.
SURVIVE AND THRIVE
Manufacturers recognize that smart technologies are necessary to get capital projects off the drawing board and into production, Little says, noting however that the worker shortage also is a factor. For decades, high schools pushed four year college degrees while vocational/shop classes disappeared. “That left a gap,” Little notes. “Today’s factories are clean, high-tech environments that should be attractive to younger workers, but we need to do a better job promoting manufacturing careers. In the meantime, smart factories help fill the gap. They allow fewer people to do more by making processes easier to run, monitor and adjust. The challenge ahead is twofold: training and attracting the workforce we need, while also accelerating the adoption of advanced technologies that keep production moving.”
Ninety percent of executives in PwC’s research say AI is forcing them to rethink jobs across their organizations, and 52 percent expect most or all roles in their workforce to be AI-augmented by 2030. “That means companies are preparing for a workforce where people and intelligent systems work side by side, and the worker shortage has made this shift even more urgent,” Hawk says.
He points out that AI, along with robotics and automation, don’t necessarily replace people—they help them make their jobs safer, more data-driven and more productive. “At the same time, leaders recognize the reskilling imperative. Jobs, skills and even education systems will need to adapt. Preparing employees for this future has become the top workforce development priority. The push for smart technologies is not just about machines. It’s about creating a workforce and factory ecosystem that can thrive in the next industrial era.”
