Issue link: https://resources.mouser.com/i/1499776
Traditionally, operational management methods often required offline data collation and analysis to monitor trends based on production batches. Now, with interconnected sources of real-time data, huge volumes of information are contextualized and visualized, allowing for immediate production flow optimization that was not possible in the past. Through immediate visibility of asset and equipment performance, output quality, and overall factory resource utilization, factory operators are empowered to make instantaneous decisions. With these tools, digital factory operators can identify bottlenecks in production flows, subpar equipment utilization rates, and high defect zones faster and more easily than ever before. When an issue is identified, digital factories can then continuously integrate iterative changes and improvements into their manufacturing process. This immediate action directly drives utilization and product quality by cutting down on production times and resource requirements. Additionally, as factory designs become more modular and production cells more adaptable, work scheduling can be adopted in real-time to enable the dynamic loading of equipment. As we move toward smaller-batch-size manufacturing, the ability to configure or reconfigure a production module setup to adapt to variations in product design, volume, or even entirely new product variants becomes key. These features are all ultimately delivered through intelligent and informed automation systems, which are enabling manufacturers to meet the growing demand for customized products. Hence, by integrating digital factory concepts onto the factory floor, factory operators can improve productivity while meeting the growing demand for custom manufacturing of consumer goods. C h a p t e r 4 | F l ex i b i l i t y T h r o u g h A g i l e M a n u f a c t u r i n g Agile focus on continuous collaboration with key stakeholders works hand in hand with a flexible digital factory architecture. Changes outlined in a sprint can be implemented, tested, and then shipped to the customer without the stress of yesteryear." Daniel Cohen Senior Robotics Software Engineer, MKS Instruments 20 Leading the Way to the Digital Factory