Living in the 4.0 digital era, the phrase “Smart Factory” is no longer new to us, especially for industrial production enterprises. The advent of the smart factory has made a breakthrough growth for businesses compared to the traditional factory automation model; and has become an inevitable trend of every business in the future. What makes the difference for a smart factory? Let’s enjoy exploring 5 highlighted characteristics of a smart factory with Autotech!

This is considered one of the most important characteristics of a smart factory compared to previous traditional factory automation models. The smart factory is the ability to intelligently connect all work processes and physical devices, generating essential data in real time. Connectivity is created from the Industrial IoT (IIoT) network system and smart sensors mounted on machines and devices.

As a result, the system can access and continually update the data reflecting the production status, current conditions, creating a more overview and helping businesses create more efficient automation production networks.

Proactive is the next phrase when referring to the characteristics that make a difference for a smart factory. This characteristic, the smart manufacturing activities of the smart factory always meet and adapt to the strict requirements of the market. Besides, operators can control production machines and equipment, monitor and  automated production to build an efficient system, reduce machine downtime and improve predictability and self-correction.

Thanks to the smart factory, people can rely on the system’s analysis and forecasts to plan, build transformation plans, react when problems and challenges arise, and ensure safety for operations. production motion.

The next characteristic of a smart factory is flexible and agile systems. Whenever there is a market fluctuation, a smart factory system possesses the ability to adapt and respond flexibly, not only about the layout of the factory but also to ensure the requirements of balancing production capacity as well as implementation time.

Enterprises applying smart manufacturing systems can proactive develop automation systems in their production according to the market needs, expanding into new markets flexibly. In addition, a smart factory also has the ability to forecast to help businesses change new technologies and processes in a timely and appropriate manner.

For traditional factory automation, it is very difficult for humans to control the transparency of data and information, because they are all collected by the manual process. However, for the smart factory, the intelligent data collection network is implemented based on many optimized technologies, to help businesses get the data to make more accurate decisions. From intuitive and transparent data collected during automated production, people can convert into detailed information to serve the process of production development and make specific decisions.

With optimization characteristics, a smart factory creates synchronization, consistency, safety and security for the chain of activities of enterprises. Besides, smart factories operate automated production with minimal human intervention but still ensure high operational efficiency (increase productivity and quality, as well as reduce costs, downtime and energy waste, etc. ).

It can be affirmed that the benefits from smart factory not only help to automated production process but also help businesses in the following points:

• Improve productivity and asset performance.
• Increased flexibility and optimal performance.
• Automation many activities to help people work safely.
• Improve quality and prevent risks quickly.
• Cost savings and optimization.

Although the smart factory solution promises to bring manufacturing enterprises many highlight benefits, the conditions for building a smart factory model are not easy, especially in Vietnam.

To build a smart factory, businesses need to fully prepare the following basic conditions:

1. Update and apply automation systems

This is one of the key factors, creating a premise for a successful smart factory building not only in Vietnam but also around the world. To apply automation in production, factories need to quickly update the achievements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution such as physical network systems, IIoT – Industrial Internet of Things, cloud computing, AI, and many others.  Since each manufacturing sector has its features, it is necessary to thoroughly understand the information about automation related to that field to apply it efficiently.

2. Human – Machine collaboration

A prerequisite for building a smart factory model is the application of automation systems. Therefore, To build a smart factory, people need to be technologically literate, automation to be able to control equipment and take on complex jobs that machines cannot yet handle on their own.

Many people mistakenly believe that the smart factory model no longer needs human intervention but only modern machines. However, technology, no matter how advanced, cannot eliminate the role of human beings, it is only the human role that will be transformed from manual labor to the work of control, analysis and decision making.

After putting the automation system into the application, human roles will be shifted from manual labor to control, analysis and decision making. Therefore, the skills of observation, synthesis and analysis play an important role in this transition. It can be said that  with the smart factory model, the role of people and technology is equal in creating the most standardized, intelligent, and efficient smart manufacturing system.

3. Financial

This is an important factor in the construction of smart factories in Vietnam. Because to build a smart factory model is a long process, including many steps and needs a specific strategy. In order to have a favorable roadmap, it is necessary to be financially proactive and build a financial plan as detailed as possible, ensuring investment in the most appropriate and effective automation solution to optimize capital; and at the same time anticipate the maximum difficulties and prepare the contingency budget. Because finance plays an important role in smart factory deployment, this model is currently being deployed by large enterprises and corporations in Vietnam.

4. Smart manufacturing technologies

This is a smart factory production ecosystem consisting of a lot of different technologies and solutions. These directly affect the construction and operation of smart factories. Smart manufacturing technology includes basic elements such as: IIoT; industrial robots; cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, etc. If a factory applies these technologies to its manufacturing process, it will make its operation more efficient and flexible.

Autotech Machinery – Vietnam Autotech Machinery Joint Stock Company, provides a variety of digital solutions to support businesses in digital transformation including automation solutions, Kardex Remstar smart warehouse, custom machine manufacturing, etc. and in which the smart factory solution is currently the most interested in manufacturing enterprises.

For more than 10 years of experience in the industrial machine manufacturing industry, Autotech has owned a team of consultants and built a professional implementation process system that has helped many businesses in Vietnam successfully deploy digital transformation in general and smart factory solutions in particular. 

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• Address: No. 11-15, Street 17,  Industry – Urban – Service Complex VSIP Bac Ninh, Dai Dong Commune, Tien Du District, Bac Ninh Province, 16000 Vietnam
• Hotline: (+84) 903 232 625
• Email: info@auto-tech.vn

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