SMART FACTORY & ADVANCED MANUFACTURING

The factory has always been at the centre of optimisation and innovation approaches in the manufacturing industry. The use of IoT or Industry 4.0 technologies promises to take processes and organization of the factory - the Smart Factory - to a new level. The following elements have proven to be target-oriented:

  • The core of the Smart Factory is the consistent use of data. Through sensor technology and networking, data is continuously collected that increases transparency and, by this alone, productivity, makes knowledge available and enables analyses and forecasts. At the forefront of the evolution of data use are autonomous systems that can control and decide independently of humans.

  • Lean Digital means significantly increasing the effectiveness of the proven principles of lean production through the intelligent use of real-time data. Instead of - for example - conducting one-off SMED workshops, the data of all set-up processes is continuously recorded and tracked, deviations in positive and negative aspects are made immediately transparent and thus performance is further increased.

  • Digital Shop Floor Management in the Smart Factory enables the processes to be controlled on site in real time. The core element is a consistent visualization of the current KPIs and deviations. In addition, the employees are supported by a consistent incident and action management as well as digital support for problem analysis. This ultimately leads to a significant acceleration of the problem solving speed and quality on the shop floor (faster PDCA) and thus to significant improvements in OEE and quality. With SOLVACE, ROI-EFESO has its own software package that has proven itself in the worldwide roll-out of global corporations.

  • The real-time control of production and quality (Real Time Production Control and Real Time Quality Control) allows the real-time recording of central process parameters and continuous comparison with sample values. This enables countermeasures to be taken within milliseconds, which leads to a significant reduction in rejects, lower quality costs and the prevention of machine damage, for example. Lean and Industry 4.0 are therefore not a contradiction in terms, but Industry 4.0 leads to a new leap in productivity based on lean.

  • Predictive Maintenance combines statistical forecasting models with sensor technologies to dramatically reduce costs by ensuring that maintenance is performed exactly when it is needed and avoiding production stops due to total downtime. In addition, the analysis of operating data and load scenarios allows an optimal allocation of production resources and the avoidance of idle or overload. At the same time, predictive maintenance approaches can be combined with condition monitoring systems for permanent monitoring of particularly critical elements, which allows high machine availability at significantly reduced costs.

  • Advanced Manufacturing is the collective term for new production technologies such as additive manufacturing, cobots, AGVs, etc. Assistance systems in the Smart Factory relieve employees of physical tasks by means of semi-autonomous or autonomous transport and robotics systems or networked digital solutions such as apps, or augmented reality applications such as Smart Glasses.

  • In the Smart Factory, the decentralized organization can be seen in the dissolution of the hierarchical pyramidal structure in favor of a network oriented to the value-added process. This transformation reduces the control effort and allows a largely autonomous coordination of the individual network elements and production-relevant software solutions such as ERP, MES or PPS. The basis for this is the use of M2M, RFID or Smart OTS technologies and the equipping of machines, workpieces and production rooms with sensor technology.

  • What makes the "intelligence" of the Smart Factory? A central point is a long-term oriented IT strategy and a scalable IT architecture. Individual digitization solutions can usually be implemented very easily. The challenge, however, is the economic roll-out. After all, the Smart Factory generates immense and complex data volumes. Only those who master and control these data volumes with the help of scalable IT can also realize the economic successes that Industry 4.0 promises.

  • Leadership and qualification are of decisive importance in this context. Many roles change, new qualifications are required and new collaboration models must be learned. As in any other change process, fears arise. Managers must be prepared for the changes just as much as experts. ROI-EFESO's Learning Campus and ROI-EFESO Learning Factories offer a comprehensive, tried-and-tested qualification programme for this purpose.

  • The sustainability aspects of a modern smart factory represent an important design dimension. With the goal of a "zero-impact factory", various measures are implemented to reduce environmental impact, for example in the areas of energy and water consumption, pollutant emissions, material and operating material efficiency, waste management or the avoidance of operational disruptions.

  • Last but not least, factory planning and plant development must be adapted to the new possibilities. The gain in flexibility through digitalisation must not be offset by rigid layouts. Plant development should become more modular and flexible. Interfaces to partners and systems should be planned accordingly.

Junges Team von Mitarbeitern einer Smart Factory
Bild eines Fliessbandes mit Produkten.
Bild eines automotischen Robotors in der Produktion.
Mitarbeiter einer Smart Factory
Value creation processes allow largely autonomous coordination of individual network elements. ©Monkey Business Images/shutterstock.com

For more than 10 years ROI-EFESO has been developing and implementing Smart Factories worldwide. Extensive references prove our experience and expertise. Talk to us about it!

Arbeiter an einer Fertigungsstraße
©boleslawiec
Case Study

Whether in the automotive, mechanical engineering or consumer goods industry: Quality problems are treacherous. If they remain undetected or ignored, they already cost a lot of money. In order to bring quality management to a new level of performance, the right combination of proven measures and new technologies must be found. With the lean supply chain management approach from ROI-EFESO, companies can develop in many ways in terms of quality.

Case Study

An automotive supplier improved the transparency of work and organizational processes in a production plant for dashboards. With a "Digital Process Twin" from ROI-EFESO, the company reduced the reject rate and made improvement potentials in its value creation networks visible.

Zwei sitzende Frauen klatschen
Lean Digital Manager ©S_L/shutterstock.com
Case Study

Shaping the factory of the future with Lean 4.0. How can lean principles be combined with the technologies and possibilities of networked digitization in value creation networks? By further qualifying employees to become decision-makers. The ROI-EFESO certification program for "Lean Digital Manager" shows how digitalization of lean production works. To do this, it combines strategies with Industry 4.0 technologies.

Mann mit Kontrollpanel zur Prozessoptimierung der Produktion
Case Study

Predictive Quality and Production. Find out how a Tier 1 automotive supplier was faced with the task of developing electromechanical components for a future electric vehicle concept. With a steep start-up curve to the customer's usual series quality, the company had to implement a new production technology with new materials. Together with ROI-EFESO, it expanded its necessary core competencies.

DIGITALES SHOPFLOOR MANAGEMENT
Case Study

Performance increase on the shop floor. Should every employee receive shift planning via smartphone? Or the plant management can compare solution proposals on a virtual dashboard in real time in the event of disruptions in the production flow? Thanks to the available IoT technologies, these and many other work simplifications of a digital shop floor management can be easily implemented today. Automobile manufacturers in particular like to take advantage of the opportunities offered by digitization and already have various systems in use, at all stages of maturity.

ROI Case Studie - Smart Factory Planning
Case Study

What does the ideal factory of the future look like? Do products there control their production completely independently? A pharmaceuticals and life sciences company plans the main directions for the smart factory transformation of four plants in just one month. Together with ROI-EFESO, the project team creates a "big picture" as a basis for planning and tests three prioritized technologies in pilot projects.

Case Study

End-to-end supply chain digitalisation in the healthcare sector. Putting together and ordering the desired product according to your own needs at the click of a mouse in the online configurator: these customer requirements must not only be met by companies in the consumer goods industry. This interaction is also highly relevant for manufacturers of medical, customisable products. However, whether assistants, support stockings or other products expand the B2C business in this way depends on the digital maturity of the logistics and production processes.

Case Study

A manufacturer of machinery and special machines has already achieved a high level of automation in its production processes. Now the company is setting its sights on further, cross-departmental goals for process automation. Together with ROI-EFESO, it is defining fields of application in the operations area in which Robot Process Automation (RPA) tools are to ensure time savings and relieve employees.

Case Study

A dairy company is continuing its success story with a clear vision: After times of war and factory fires, it is building the most technologically advanced "Future Factory" in its region. With ROI-EFESO, the company is developing a concept for the factory, which is to be built on 70,000 square meters by 2030 - and is combining this planning with a digitization/Industry 4.0 initiative for ongoing production