Smart Factories & Smart Manufacturing: the Checklist
A smart factory is a new though well-known term for many manufacturers. These factories are at the heart of Industry 4.0, and today large companies are increasingly implementing them into production. So why are large companies implementing these technologies, and should you?
What is a “smart factory”
It is a digitalized and networked manufacturing plant. The aim of smart manufactures is to create self-organizing, optimized manufacturing facilities and do it with minimal human intervention, using advanced technologies: artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, big data, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Smart technology manufacturers in 2021
Two industry leaders announced a partnership this fall to advance the Smart Factory concept for even better quality and efficiency. These are Saki Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer of high-speed automated optical inspection systems, and the SMT Solutions Team ASMPT, a leading integrated solutions provider in the semiconductor and electronics industries.
Through the use of IPC Connected Factory Exchange (CFX), the companies plan to establish seamless connectivity between the inspection and measurement systems produced by Saki Corporation, and the pick-and-place machines of ASMPT. This will give their customers access to the powerful production line solutions that offer “plug & play” machine-to-machine connectivity and IoT / Smart Factory enabled.
No wonder that such large companies support the idea of “smart factories”. All due to a number of advantages:
- Increased productivity.
- Energy efficiency.
- Intelligent monitoring.
- Safe transportation with SDV (Self-Driving-Vehicles).
1. Ability to connect.
If you are considering implementing a smart factory, you need to verify these three requirements first:
In smart manufacturing, all individual machines, products, and other devices shall be able to connect both to each other and to a central control system. Horizontal and vertical integration often requires updating and modernizing existing equipment, networks, and processes into a single integrated digital ecosystem.
2. Employee experience.
At smart factories, many processes are automatically controlled by machines, but human monitoring is also important. Changing responsibilities requires not only employees training but also innovative hiring practices.
3. Cybersecurity.
A large amount of the production data is your power. But it can become a weapon in the hands of the competitors. Therefore, take care of the confidentiality.
We hold multiple professional certifications that allow us to apply knowledge and experience to numerous industries: from Medical, Military, Semiconductor, Consumer, and many others. ABC Assembly can assist you with any of these things.