Smart factories that make full use of IT technologies such as IoT and AI have the potential to be useful in situations such as failure prediction, defective product detection, human resource development, and energy conservation. Smart factories are one of the effective solutions to the challenges facing manufacturers in terms of factory operations. However, implementing it requires manufacturing knowledge and digital know-how. In order to introduce it, other issues such as initial cost and security must be resolved.
In this article, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages, challenges, and tips for implementing smart factories.
What is a smart factory?
A smart factory is a factory that connects various equipment such as machine tools and production lines to a network to improve the efficiency of information management and optimize operations.
Traditional factory operations typically relied on skilled labor, highly technical staff, and experienced managers. However, factories, which support the backbone of the manufacturing industry, must constantly respond to a variety of issues. It is true that humans have limits when it comes to tackling issues such as failure detection, defective product detection, productivity improvement, and energy optimization.
Currently, in addition to the sophistication of equipment, the situation is constantly changing, such as the introduction of FA equipment (factory automation equipment) that supports automation, the spread of IoT, which refers to the Internet of Things, and the practical use of AI (artificial intelligence). . It is no exaggeration to say that all operations related to factory operations are supported by IT. It is now possible to quickly link product quality and condition, factory equipment operating status, and line information, dramatically improving capabilities.
As a result, the number of options for achieving the traditional issues of labor saving and productivity improvement has increased. With the introduction of smart factories, it is becoming easier to address pressing issues such as dealing with labor shortages and saving energy.
[Advantages] 5 reasons why you should work on a smart factory
This chapter introduces five benefits that can be gained by implementing a smart factory.
Can solve the shortage of human resources
Japan is experiencing a declining birthrate and aging population, and it is predicted that there will be a chronic labor shortage in the future. In the manufacturing industry, it is necessary to create an environment where even the elderly can work comfortably and to recruit human resources.
Labor savings can be achieved by automating tasks that were previously done manually. Furthermore, by having robots perform tasks that require physical strength, it will be easier to create an environment in which skilled seniors can work comfortably. It is predicted that the declining birthrate and aging population will continue in the future, so the introduction of smart factories can be expected to be effective in the long term.
Can promote work style reform
The introduction of smart factories will also lead to the promotion of work style reform . As the needs of workers continue to diversify and the working population continues to decline due to the declining birthrate and aging population, work style reforms are being promoted with the aim of reducing working hours and improving productivity in order to solve these issues. I am.
Its introduction can be expected to improve productivity and improve management efficiency in many manufacturing companies, which may lead to the promotion of work style reforms. Since it responds to the diversifying needs of workers, it can be said that it can be expected to improve employee satisfaction.
Technology can be inherited for a long time
Japan’s manufacturing industry has continued to make strides with its high technological capabilities, but the current situation is that technology has not been passed down. By using smart factories, you can collect know-how and skills as data. By using the collected data to create manuals and standardize work, it becomes easier to transfer technology smoothly.
By making it easier to inherit technology, there is also the benefit of smoother business succession, allowing advanced technology to be passed on to the next generation. Another feature is that by digitizing know-how and experience, it becomes easier to share it with the next generation.
You can promote your efforts towards SDGs.
This will also help promote your efforts towards the SDGs. SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) are sustainable development goals that were unanimously adopted at the United Nations Summit in 2015. Since the Japanese government and many companies are also working on this, it is one of the elements that we would like to use as material for our appeal.
Smart factories can be said to be a response to the SDGs because they can monitor energy usage and prevent wasteful energy use.
Leads to cost reduction
Working towards smart factories will lead to cost reductions. Since defects in factory equipment can be identified, defective products can be reduced, and material costs can be expected to be reduced.
In addition, it will be possible to visualize the status of the production line and link data such as customer data, which will reduce the burden on employees and reduce labor costs.
By introducing this system, you can expect cost reductions, including material costs and labor costs.
[Disadvantages] Issues that arise when working on smart factories and how to deal with them
While smart factories have many benefits, they can also come with challenges. From here, we will explain the four main issues and how to deal with them.
Securing digital human resources
It is important to secure digital human resources in order to work on smart factories. Since knowledge and know-how in introducing and utilizing digital technology are required, human resources cannot be developed immediately. Furthermore, since know-how in manufacturing technology is required, it is common to proceed with training by introducing experts, IT vendors, etc.
Japan is experiencing a declining birthrate and aging population, making it more difficult than ever to secure human resources. Therefore, there are many cases where smart factories cannot be introduced due to a lack of human resources.
Enhanced security
Strengthening security is important in these efforts. It is common to handle large amounts of data, but this data is often important confidential information for companies, and if it is leaked, it will cause great damage.
In recent years, external threats such as unauthorized access and malware infection have increased the risk of data leaks. Therefore, a strong security model is essential for operating a smart factory.
Network system capacity issues
For deployment, network system capacity criteria must be met. If an IoT system does not have a certain amount of network system capacity, it will not be possible to collect huge amounts of data and improve efficiency and automation.
Additionally, slow system communication speeds may lead to response delays and performance deterioration. However, understanding the required capacity requires someone knowledgeable in cost-benefit analysis of IoT systems.
Securing initial costs
In order to introduce a smart factory, it is necessary to introduce various equipment such as systems, AI, IoT sensors, cloud servers, and IoT gateways. Therefore, the high initial cost for introduction is a major issue.
The cost of installation varies depending on the environment construction, the cost of necessary equipment, and the company providing the service. Therefore, it is important to clarify costs before implementation. It is important to note that smart factories require not only initial costs but also maintenance costs and other costs.
Issues that can be solved with smart factories
Factories that support the manufacturing industry face a variety of challenges. For example, troubleshooting, defective product countermeasures, lack of skilled workers, and energy conservation measures are issues that must be steadily addressed in any factory.
Due to the globalization of business and the diversification of consumer needs, customer demands have expanded to include delivery times, costs, and quality. Additionally, the competition for talented human resources is expanding beyond industry boundaries, making it increasingly difficult to secure human resources to support businesses. Under such circumstances, we must also face the problem of an aging workforce. Stable succession of technology is also an urgent issue.
Smart factories are expected to play a supporting role in solving these problems faced by the manufacturing industry.
Prediction of failure
Failure prediction is the use of IoT to monitor the status of equipment and other factory equipment, predict the probability of failure in advance, or detect areas where abnormalities are currently occurring.
In many cases, factory line monitoring is already being carried out in a typical factory. However, there are many cases where data cannot be measured because the equipment is outdated, or even if the data itself can be measured without any problems, it is difficult to manage the data because the data format is different. In such cases, the problem is that it takes a lot of effort to accurately understand the operating status and prepare for failures.
Making factories smart can solve these challenges. For example, by installing sensors equipped with IoT functions on devices, data can be aggregated regardless of whether they are new or old. By consolidating data in one place, you can centrally manage operating status. Management becomes more efficient by making it easier to understand operating rates and operating conditions, and the accuracy of failure prediction can be improved by utilizing centralized data.
Detecting defective products using image recognition
Image recognition technology is also useful for finding defective products. Traditionally, defective products have been detected through manual inspection. However, this method not only requires a lot of effort, but also has the issue of not being able to train human resources who can perform the inspection and eliminate the risk of human error. Additionally, installing equipment to detect defective products requires a large amount of cost. Dealing with defective products can be said to have continued to be a major problem for factory operations.
Using current image recognition technology, it is possible to solve these problems related to defective products. Deep learning in AI automatically detects specific patterns when a large amount of image data is loaded. By repeating this process, we have seen results such as a dramatic improvement in the accuracy of discovering patterns from image data.
This technology can also be applied to detect defective products in factories. If quality inspection is digitized, AI will be able to automatically learn from the data, and it will also be able to accumulate information on situations where defective products are likely to occur, which will be of great help in analyzing the causes.
Human resource development through remote support using VR
VR (virtual reality) technology, which enables remote operation and management, is also useful for human resource development.
Securing and developing human resources is an urgent issue for the entire manufacturing industry and factory operations. As Japan as a whole progresses toward a declining birthrate and aging population, the proportion of young people in the labor force is decreasing, and the number of middle-aged and older workers is increasing. Under such circumstances, a labor shortage has occurred, and work style reforms are being promoted to reduce working hours. Factories are faced with the challenge of how to pass on the skills of veterans and how to make effective use of their time to develop the next generation of human resources.
VR, also known as “virtual reality,” is a technology that uses goggle-type devices, cameras, and remote systems to monitor and experience the situation as if you were actually there, even if you are not there. As a related technology, a technology called “ mixed reality ” has also emerged, which allows a person wearing a goggle-type device to simultaneously see another image in addition to the reality they are currently seeing.
This has made it possible for veteran employees in remote locations to instruct new employees on tasks and provide manuals through goggles. By using the VR system, it is becoming possible to efficiently develop human resources.
Optimizing factory energy with sensors
Smart factories are also suitable for energy conservation throughout the factory. Currently, the importance of environmental awareness is being emphasized worldwide, as exemplified by terms such as “SDGs” (Sustainable Development Goals) and “ESG management” (management that takes into account the environment, society, and governance). I am. The manufacturing industry, which uses a lot of energy, is also being forced to take a clear response.
In a smart factory, the operating status and energy usage status of the factory can be visualized by utilizing IoT sensors. By managing numerically, it is possible to use energy efficiently and save energy.
Methods and tips for realizing a smart factory
Simply introducing a smart factory does not guarantee success. This chapter introduces methods to ensure smooth operation after installation.
Thoroughly visualize and accumulate data
In order to realize a smart factory, it is important to thoroughly visualize and accumulate data. Until now, in the manufacturing industry, it was common to manually manage data related to quality control and production. However, handwritten data cannot be shared in real time.
Therefore, by digitizing the necessary data, it becomes possible to visualize and accumulate it in real time.
Deploy tools for efficient analysis
For efficient analysis, it is a good idea to introduce tools. It is necessary not only to collect data, but also to analyze and utilize it. However, manually analyzing data is time-consuming and difficult.
Therefore, it is important to introduce tools that automatically create graphs to visualize data, accumulate data, and analyze it from various angles.
Set automation as the end goal
Furthermore, it is important to set automation as the end goal. Ultimately, the purpose of introducing a smart factory is to collect and accumulate data and automate the process for efficient analysis.
This allows you to generate effective data without spending time and effort on data collection and analysis. This data can be effectively utilized for future factory operations and marketing measures.
Initiatives for smart factories that are progressing around the world
Efforts toward smart factories are progressing in countries around the world.
The government of Germany, a manufacturing powerhouse in Europe, is advocating ” Industry 4.0 .” The government is promoting the development of the manufacturing industry through advanced technologies such as the IoT as an industrial revolution. The underlying idea is that the development of IoT will reduce costs and improve productivity, leading to new economic development and social structural change.
For example, as smart factories become more sophisticated, machines will not only be able to carry out human commands, but factory equipment will also be able to guide the way towards finished products themselves. The development of smart factories that can complete products without human instructions is underway.
In China, the national leadership is proposing an industrial policy called “Made in China 2025.” 23 items in 10 fields have been set to advance the manufacturing industry, including next-generation information technology (semiconductors and 5G) and new energy vehicles. We are working to strengthen our manufacturing industry with the aim of joining the world’s manufacturing powerhouses by 2025.
India also advocated “Make in India,” and announced a policy to develop the Indian manufacturing industry through foreign investment. Among these, the development of manufacturing infrastructure has been emphasized, and efforts have been made to comprehensively upgrade the manufacturing industry, including smart factories.
Summary
A smart factory is a factory that utilizes network connectivity and introduces digital technology to equipment and equipment within the factory. By creating a smart factory, you can improve productivity, eliminate labor shortages, and perform efficient data analysis.
