Factories,
by and large, are conceived as a dark place where people keep
standing nearby assembly lines … doing the same old thing every
day, every hour and every second. However, this concept can be
associated to a traditional factory—and it has thankfully changed
in the recent past because of the marvelous influx of manufacturing
technology.
The
factories that are driven using technologies are dotting the global
landscape. Be it an established country or a developing one,
manufacturing is undergoing a sea change. And this transformation is
carried out because more and more countries are not only recognizing
the change but also adopting it by investing in cutting-edge
technologies.
The
manufacturing incentives breed the concept of Smart
Manufacturing
For
example, The EU is investing close to 2 billion euros in the
“Factories of the Future”—a public/private partnership in which
manufacturers are encouraged to leverage new technologies for
manufacturing in a more efficient, a more profitable and a greener
way.
And
it is not only the EU that is in the race—many countries are
offering a range of incentives for manufacturers so that they can
transform their operations and can reduce the amount of waste as well
as energy that goes in producing something.
If
we are referring to developing nations, there are many which are
offering good incentive packages for luring native manufacturers.
This is how Smart
Manufacturing,
the concept, has come into existence; and it comes with a host of
benefits and is slated to become as the way to manufacture in the
future.
The
force of the labor will rise
Pessimists
always point out those workers who will lose their jobs once this
concept gains ground. However, who really wishes to stand daily at a
long assembly line without feeling any sense of creation or
achievement? No one wants to have a job at a manufacturing unit where
everything is so mechanical and where there is no scope of experiment
and newness whatsoever.
By
adopting new technologies in a manufacturing unit, the number of jobs
will become more than what can be found today. Several studies are
undertaken indicating the total number of indirect jobs, which are
required in a manufacturing unit, to support the cutting-edge
manufacturing processes will actually quadruple in quantity. These
indirect jobs will be a necessity for such factories to function
properly and efficiently.
When
the computer technology was first introduced for the private/public
use, a couple of Luddites stated that this introduction will automate
business processes and will promote unemployment. However, as we can
witness today that never happened—rather once the computers found a
firm footing in the manufacturing world, more and more people learned
the computer systems and started working in different capacities
within the production facility. And similar results are presumed to
be found when the Smart
Manufacturing
will be deployed.
The
environmental impact of the Smart
Technology
Smart
factories are regarded as the absolute representation of the future
as they can easily reduce the negative impacts of manufacturing
activities on the environment. As the main focus has been shifted to
environment today, manufacturers are bearing the brunt for polluting
it and for making it hostile for the humanity.
For
this reason, it becomes important for manufacturers to stick to a
concept or a way of thinking that will make the production facility
more sensitive to the requirements and the needs of building a
greener environment.
What
does the smart factory do?
Factors
that implement the Smart
Technology
put to use the reusable packaging techniques and other methods that
bring down the harmful impacts on the environment. Other effects that
the Smart
Technology
is designed to reduce on the environment comprise:
- Reducing greenhouse gases, which carry a negative impact on the environment
- Using natural resources efficiently
- Deploying improved waste-control mechanism that, further, brings down the environmental damage
As
consumers are becoming cognizant of the environmental issues, they
have started clamoring for the adoption of environment-friendly
manufacturing principles. And because of their responsibility toward
the environment, these manufacturers are implanting the principles of
Smart
Technology
within factories—both large and small. And this has, further, given
rise to Industry 4.0.
Industry
4.0—in a nutshell
The
movement of Smart
Technology
has indeed got its own nickname—Industry 4.0. This movement is all
about changing the manufacturing techniques for the better; and this
improvement will be justified only when the cost is contained well.
So the 4.0 is completely expected to:
- Put concentrated efforts for using sustainable materials
- Look toward the closed lifecycle loops where the waste is zero
- Reduce the overall cost, which will eventually bring down the amount that will be paid by the end user
Because
of all such factors, you can expect the concept to grow in 2016 as
now any day is a good day to start saving Mother Nature. However,
when it comes to implementing the Smart
Technology,
building a smarter factory and becoming the smartest manufacturer,
many companies lack the required know-how and the experience. Here is
where the knowledge of a manufacturing consulting company comes into
play.
Such
consultancies have manufacturing and strategic planning consultants
who can work along with the manufacturer to deploy the technologies
and the processes that are at the leading edge of the production
sector.
