Following the buzz around reshoring, and the tailwind provided by new legislation, the U.S. manufacturing resurgence comes as no surprise. At the end of 2022, American manufacturing growth started outpacing the rest of the world for the first time in recent memory. Construction spending from manufacturers rose about 71% from 2022, according to Commerce Department data, and manufacturers had over 105,000 more employees in August 2023 compared to a year earlier. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) incentivized investment and growth in the U.S. industrial sector by prioritizing technological advancement, clean energy initiatives, and job growth.
Despite the economic headwinds of 2023 that have continued into 2024, according to a recent Deloitte report, embracing Industry 5.0, supply chain transformation, sustainability and worker wellbeing will help U.S. manufacturers weather contraction and continue to fuel a transformation of the sector. From sea to shining sea, it feels like manufacturing isn’t just coming back. It’s in a full-blown renaissance.
Don’t Call it a Comeback
So, what makes it a renaissance? Companies across the landscape aren’t just reviving U.S. production but advancing the sophistication, efficiency, and sustainability of U.S. operations. Most importantly, it’s not just a renaissance of technology, but also in the way people connect. Companies are expanding efforts to innovate and work closer than ever in meeting sustainability goals, and navigating supply chain, and industry 5.0 challenges. However, keeping pace is critical.
The one thing companies cannot afford to do in this transitional time is stand idle. This is where the seemingly little things—like belting solutions for conveying and power transmission—can be pivotal. Downtime due to belts that are unreliable or ill-equipped for the application can wreak havoc on productivity, inventory, timelines and, ultimately, customer and consumer trust.
Shaking off the Supply Chain Chaos for Resilience and Agility
You can’t talk about today’s rising demand for localizing production without acknowledging the difficult lessons learned over the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic that tested (and revealed the limits) of lean approaches to manufacturing and supply chain management. Success in manufacturing depends on resource management. When you consider that conveyor belts are moving product from early production through distribution, it’s important to ensure this essential equipment is quick and easy to assemble, precise, quiet, customizable and made of fitting material.
Supply chain management encapsulates quick responses to challenges, as well as smooth day-to-day operations. Understanding client needs in these areas allows companies to be more agile and able to address other industry trends.
Embracing Industry 5.0
Industry 5.0, the advent of humans working alongside smarter machines and robots, is a phenomenon fostered by the close collaboration of humans to make it possible. The State of the Industry Report by PMMI (The Association for Packaging and Technology) pointed to the continued proliferation of robots across manufacturing, increasing use of robotic systems in end-of-line applications like palletizing and penetration of automation withing warehousing and logistics operations. As robots (and co-bots) become more available and affordable, we can continue to see more and more sophisticated machinery guiding operations across the manufacturing landscape.
A key advantage to working with smarter, more interconnected machines is the increased opportunity to mitigate challenges. Enhanced preventative maintenance capabilities keep companies one step ahead of disruption by identifying performance patterns and anticipating alterations or repairs.
Spotlight on Sustainability
Sustainability has increasingly been the focus across industries. This renewed and magnified focus–partly fueled through legislation like the IRA–has companies re-examining all avenues to reduce carbon footprint. Belting solutions are a great starting point to help American manufacturers drive toward a more sustainable future. Belts made of recyclable materials, energy-efficient belts, and belts with lower material consistency, are all examples of avenues for improving sustainability targets. Benefitting both the environment and the bottom lines, having local partners ensures smaller carbon footprints.
Focus on Worker Well-Being
As part of Industry 5.0 and sustainability initiatives, it is crucial to design belts and machinery that coexists with workers and minimizes injuries or straining. While precision and speed are important, this is never done at the expense of human safety. In belting particularly, there are “pinch points” where workers’ hands can get caught between moving components. Minimizing this exposure, alongside lowering noise levels, are some of the considerations when assessing employee safety in the workplace. Dampening noise levels to improve employee comfort and decreasing the main hazards present in belt manufacturing (which include exposure to chemicals and risks involving heavy machinery) are all crucial to actualize sustainability goals.
Looking Ahead
Innovation is a category of its own, an ever-present industry trend, an omniscient key to success in manufacturing. For belting needs, constantly innovating ensures higher precision and more suitable product fits. While there will always be challenges to manufacturing, the U.S. manufacturers are more prepared and capable of navigating them thanks to legislation, local partnerships, and lessons learned during the pandemic. Conveyor belting serves an important role in this manufacturing renaissance as it (hopefully quietly) continues to power a range of activities from manufacturing to packaging and more.
