Award for groundbreaking smart factory projects in China

Munich / Shanghai, 16. November 2017 – This year for the first time, pioneers of digitalization were able to apply for the “Industry 4.0 – Award” presented by ROI Management Consulting AG. The consultancy honored this year’s winners at the Global Smart Factory Summit Shanghai in cooperation with Ringier Events. Five Chinese companies convinced with outstanding practical solutions in the realization of an intelligent factory. Next to BOSCH Changsha and Advantech Kunshan, TLD Ground Support Equipment (Sites Shanghai & Wuxi), Borche Machinery as well as Truking Technology were delighted to receive the award.

From a selection of 30 high-level applications, a jury of specialists chose six candidates for the round of finalists, whose industry 4.0 implementations were thoroughly checked through on-site visits. Key criteria for the evaluation were customer benefit, degree of innovation, profitability and practicality. For the highest possible degree of fairness, the jury evaluated the participants based on the industry 4.0 reference model, developed by ROI Management Consulting AG. This model examines the implementation of industry 4.0 in eight different areas, such as customer integration. As a result of this selection process, five companies received an award.  

Advantech: Real-time equipment- and resource-monitoring

The maker of industrial displays, controllers and other electronic components impressed with a real-time sensor- and software solution which allows them to monitor both high tech machines such as SMT lines as well as conventional equipment like mechanical press brakes. With this framework Advantech gains complete transparency across all production steps. The operating data is automatically consolidated and visualized and made available wherever it is needed – from the shop floor to the board room. Another highlight of this implementation is the so-called situation room. There, all process & machine data is automatically sorted by relevance and visually summarized for evaluation and decision-making. This makes it possible to detect deviations and initiate countermeasures in real-time, for example when an unusual increase in power consumption occurs.

Borche Machinery Co., Ltd.: Online in-field condition monitoring

The manufacturer of plastic injection molding machines has developed a system which can permanently monitor the operating status at the customer’s site, resulting in an outstanding level of customer integration. It consists of self-developed hardware such as 4G receiver-/sender modules and a customized IT-architecture, also developed in-house. With this solution Borche is able to help its customers to avoid downtimes and extend equipment lifetime. In addition, the data provides valuable insights concerning the development of new machine generations.  

BOSCH Changsha: Advanced automation- and assistance systems

The supplier of automotive components and electric drives impressed the jury with a production line for ABS comprising state-of-the-art automation and assistance systems, in which 34 work stations can be operated by only two employees. The line’s capabilities include real-time performance monitoring, automated KPI reporting, 100% capturing of process-, machine- and product parameters, 100% traceability, automatic changeover, RFID communication between workpiece holder and -station as well as a safety system which makes use of indoor GPS to set up an electronic fence around danger zones.  

TLD Ground Support Equipment: Horizontal integration – Production & inspection online system

The manufacturer of push trucks and baggage loaders for airports received an Award for the exceptionally high degree of horizontal integration, which not only integrates workflows within TLD, but also links the company seamlessly with customers and suppliers. For example, each operator has a tablet to access work instructions for 50 and more processes with 500+ work steps. Engineering/ production preparation, quality and design/development have access to the same database, preventing mistakes caused by different document versions. In addition, suppliers also have access to the system and receive relevant data automatically, e.g. information about quality and on-time delivery. Another highlight of the system is the community function. All workflows can be started and completed without a single email being sent: all communication- and coordination tasks can be accomplished directly in the system.

Truking Technology Limited: Integrated ERP-MES-PDM, process simulation

The producer of process equipment for pharmaceuticals and active ingredients received an Award for the outstanding integration of product development and production. With this capability, Truking is able to simulate production parameters during development with a high degree of detail. The parameters obtained from the simulation are directly linked with databases from production and purchasing and prevent errors which can occur at interfaces and media breaks, e.g. during data format conversion. In addition, Truking impressed the jury with a system for remote monitoring of their equipment in the field.  

“Regarding digitalization, China is already playing in a different league – in contrast to Germany, here you can pay your utility bills by scanning a code on it with your phone. The winners of our award are by no means representative for all companies in China, however – high flexibility for changing market conditions and a pioneering spirit are characteristics of China, and this transfers to the industry”, says Timo Schneemann, Vice General Manager of ROI in Beijing. “Not only were the case descriptions impressive in their own right – it also became clear that they are all nested within strategic roadmaps which span years, not months. Leaps in performance don’t come over night but are the result of mindful planning and execution.”