A 'smart factory' is a highly connected and digitalized enterprise where automation and automated optimization of manufacturing processes enable machines and equipment to perform core processes as efficiently as possible.
'Smart factory' is considered the foundation of Industry 4.0 .
Their benefits have now extended beyond the production of physical goods and into other critical business functions, including planning, supply chain logistics, and product development.
The 'smart factory' is a key component in the transformation to end-to-end smart manufacturing, said Tim Gaus, a director at Deloitte Consulting in the US.
According to Doug Johnson, Director of Product Management at Rockwell Automation's Plex Smart Manufacturing platform (USA), 'smart factories' leverage multiple technologies to perform comprehensive manufacturing operations, including cloud computing, big data analytics, sensors and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).
Countless benefits
There are many benefits to implementing ‘smart factories’ and at the highest level is the ability to develop solutions to address some of the world’s biggest challenges.
According to Tim Gaus, by implementing such solutions, businesses will have a secure and reliable technology platform, allowing them to bring their business operations into the trend of the future, protect their operations from malicious cyber attacks, and thoroughly solve problems in the digital world...
‘Smart factories’ can benefit businesses of all sizes and across a range of industries, including automotive, food and beverage, consumer goods, rubber and plastics, and electronics.
These industries often have complex manufacturing processes, with multiple manufacturing components, making them good candidates for implementing 'smart factories'.
Deloitte's Manufacturing Outlook 2023 study found that more than 60% of executives surveyed are currently partnering with specialized technology companies to drive smart manufacturing initiatives in the coming years.
Pressure is mounting
The global economy is becoming increasingly competitive as consumer expectations for high quality products increase.
“Skilled labor shortages, supply chain disruptions and economic challenges are adding pressure to the manufacturing sector,” said Doug Johnson.
Plex’s latest annual State of Smart Manufacturing Report found that the number of people saying they don’t have enough technology to stay ahead of their competitors has doubled since 2022.
At the same time, 97% of survey respondents reported plans to use smart manufacturing technology.
“Using smart technology and adopting data-driven manufacturing methods is critical for businesses to improve efficiency and productivity to stay competitive,” notes Doug Johnson.
Getting started with smart manufacturing can be a daunting task for many companies. Tim Gaus often advises his clients to think big, start small, and scale quickly.
That means starting with the investments that deliver the highest value, adding improvements to legacy processes to get return on investment and overall impact, and then expanding to other areas.
‘Smart factory’ technologies are very complex systems, making them difficult to manage and potentially expensive to deploy and maintain.
“Businesses need to carefully consider their existing budgets to ensure they have the expertise and resources needed to support those initiatives,” says Doug Johnson.
In addition, choosing the right technology solution for a 'smart factory' is very important, it needs to be consistent with the goals and growth plans, helping to save costs and bring long-term benefits.
(according to ITWeek)
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