Control Design: Importance of IT Personnel in Manufacturing
The landscape of the manufacturing industry is changing dramatically daily, especially in concerns to the personnel behind the automation. An Owens Design team member recently spoke to exactly that in the Control Data article, “Do machines dream.”
Increasing Role of IT
Doug Putnam-Pite, director of software development for Owens Design, offered valuable insight into the transformation of the automated manufacturing industry.
Putnam-Pite discussed the increasing need for IT personnel rather than the everyday manufacturing worker. He states, “while the repetitive and dangerous jobs are being replaced by robots, the irony is that these same factories will now need highly trained technicians and possibly engineers to service and maintain these new robots and automation.”
As this trend continues, the manufacturing industry will need workers with a more advanced skill set.
Semiconductors as Precedent
The semiconductor industry is likely a harbinger of things to come. Putnam-Pite: “Several decades ago, the semiconductor wafer fabs were run by PhD scientists and technicians. Now the modern wafer fab has more IT personnel than scientists and technicians. The fabs have become highly automated and connected, requiring vast numbers of highly skilled IT personnel.”
Click here to read the full article.
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