Automation: Cloud Based Manufacturing and In-machining Process Quality Control and Feedback

Chicago, Illinois - Manufacturing has seen constant change in prior decades that were necessary to remain a critical element of global wealth and development. Even though the level and type of impact of manufacturing varies depending on the country, it still accounts for a significant percentage of global GDP and employment. However, the different sources of waste during the manufacturing execution are well known. They stretch from R&D to verification and outbound logistics.

The earlier improvements in the chain improvements can be made, the bigger the value leverage influencing final cost and quality of parts. Waste exists along the value chain, mainly in the form of poor manufacturability, inefficient processes and low machine utilization caused by lack of knowledge application, process feedback obtained from process data, information, and more. This is creating significant opportunities to reduce capital intensity and OPEX in manufacturing operations. 

The concept of smart factories opens tremendous possibilities for next-generation intelligent shop floor efficiency. This involves connectivity, sensor-based manufacturing systems and industrial robots. These technologies aim to be human-centric and support efficient decision making in all stages of the manufacturing process. In addition, virtual factories integrating Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) optimize efficiency in networked, collaborative value chains. A cloud based manufacturing environment supports optimized asset tracking and asset management, autonomous control, and logistics. This will enable different stake holders of manufacturing entities to monitor and diagnose performance and secure parts quality. This presentation demonstrates industrial cases which utilize the above technologies to take a comprehensive approach of visualizing, analyzing and optimizing manufacturing processes, root cause effects, and process feedback to improve final parts dimension accuracy, quality, and total cost.