Smart Manufacturing & Digital Transformation: Future Roadmap for Smart Factory

By Fang Shin Yun

2022 is coming to an end, within the year, manufacturers have overcome many challenges such as trade war, the never-ending pandemic, and geopolitical issue. Their future blueprint has gradually shifted from active expansion to maintaining stable growth in change. However, there is a group of people who have been recognized as “manufacturing pioneers” by the industry, they are the Global Lighthouse Network (GLN). Being top-tier manufacturers, tickets to this premium club are not easy to come by.

How does new technology help digital transformation?

These selected factories are undoubtedly the pilot in the industry. So, how did they achieve such success? One of the key factors is “data.” GLN factories implemented 24/7 AI vision, to not only visualizes the production line, but also helps to retrace anomaly at any point in time. With real-time data, they can make improvements in different aspects.

Creating new value

Being a rewarded smart factory is not that simple. Pioneers know the importance of data analysis and the future benefit it can create. Doing this enables data-driven decision-making through digitally empowered production, “turning existing expenses into future budgets,”achieving lean production and smart factories.

Read more: <Human in Smart Manufacturing: Data Driven Decision Making>

Productivity of quality

Advanced technology is also introduced for quality control. AI vision supervised each workstation helps to make sure every unit that the line produced is in the highest quality. Factory managers are able to hold all the information in one AI dashboard, effectively knowing the factory’s performance.

Read more: <Beyond productivity: Transform Your Smart Factory into High Yield Powerhouse>

All round check-up

Of course, there are scenarios manufacturers want to avoid. Including long cycle times, machine malfunction, wrong materials, poor SOP, and high-risk working environments. However, we as human all make mistakes. AI vision can play the role like a supercharger, assisting us 24/7 and making sure both the production line and the operators are in the best state.

Read more: <Data Ownership: Smart Manufacturing on Full Data Support>

Strengthen robustness

We see “agility” in GLN factories. By introducing tools with IoT, data collection, and automation, it can provide significant agility to the production process. In the past, customers put their focus on product quality, price, and delivery process. Now, they are also looking for “agility”, that is, how flexible can manufacturers respond to sudden changes in customer demand.

Read more: <Data Ownership: Global Operation Realized by Using AI Vision>

Being eco-friendly

Factories over consumed resources by having low-efficiency SOP or default units produced. By collaborating with cutting-edge technology, we can optimize production processes, reduce waste, and lay the foundation for ESG goals.

Read more: <Beyond Productivity: Fulfill ESG Metrics from Revolutionize the Production Line>

Best sidekick for heroes

PowerArena’s Human Operation Platform (HOP) is an AI vision that enhance work efficiency and improve operational performance. It provides the most reliable database for production optimization and enables factory managers to take ownership of the data, and helps employees to enhance the quality of their work, achieve their work goals, create value, and move toward smart manufacturing.

Read more: <Human in Smart Factory: Unsung Heroes of Manufacturing>

The “must” in 4IR

Till this day, there are more than 140 lighthouse factories around the world, one being Wiston’s plant at Kunshan. In it, our AI Vision system lives on. Implemented with our advanced AI Human Operation Platform, Wistron’s Kunshan plant has been awarded as the key factory in Global Lighthouse Network of 2021.

With the growing trend of IR4, the pressure had grown significantly for top manufacturers to adapt. Understanding the use of new technology and the importance of data are no longer capabilities that are seen as bonus points, but rather as necessity. The winter is coming, dust off your skis, let’s get ready.

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