FOUNDATION FRAMEWORK
Smart factories appear to be the obvious next step for the built environment industry , with highly automated manufacturing facilities that utilise advanced technologies such as IoT , AI and Big Data , up-smarting promises to optimise production processes , enhance efficiency and improve product quality . Mikko Urho , CEO , Visual Components , takes us through the three pillars forming the factories of the future .
THE THREE PILLARS FORMING THE SMART FACTORIES OF THE FUTURE
D igital transformation is a necessity in modern times . The market , valued at US $ 367 billion in 2024 , is set to reach US $ 876 billion by 2026 , with a CAGR of 19.40 % over the five-year forecast period . Those who fail to invest sufficiently in their transformation plans will be left behind as ambitious rivals leave a wave of innovation in their wake . But while the hype around digital transformation is almost inescapable , few organisations have been able to scale their smart factories of the future .
In fact , research by Visual Components shows that only 3 % of organisations in the US have fully adopted Industry 5.0 practices , which sees humans working alongside advanced technology , a key pre-requisite for smarter manufacturing . To move ahead with digital transformation on the factory floor , manufacturers must meet requirements across three pillars : humancentricity , customer-centricity and business resilience / longevity .
The human-centric pillar
The human-centric pillar places people at the heart of manufacturing innovation , and the responsibility lies with decision-makers to implement the appropriate technology to support this focus . For example , collaborative robots ( Cobots ) are now capable of completing a range of different functions that were previously the sole responsibility of staff . This includes sanding , polishing , screwing and palletising .
As a specific example , the same force needs to be consistently applied to a product to ensure a consistency in quality across each item . Cobots
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