Just as no two fabrication shops are the alike, the same goes for smart factories. The concept, which essentially networks machines with software and automation systems, can be interpreted and conceptualized on shop floors in unending ways.
Some smart factories might embody the massive, sophisticated operations often associated with the smart factory term – operations replete with complex manufacturing lines feeding rows of storage towers that are all backed by powerful AI-driven software. But, there are plenty of other smart factory examples that are little more than an automated laser cutting machine or press brake outfitted with a few sensors to monitor the operating status.
Regardless of the business size or setup, the end results are often the same: enhanced efficiency, reduced downtime and improved product quality. With machines and systems sharing data in real time, fabricators can implement predictive maintenance, optimize production schedules and better control material usage. With sensors and data analytics, fabricators can track machine performance, identify bottlenecks and make data-driven decisions to streamline operations, reduce waste and increase profitability.
Ultimately, the smart factory concept transforms traditional manufacturing into a more agile, responsive and efficient process. Adopting the smart factory concept with the freedom to interpret it in a myriad of ways sounds great – transformative even. But in that same breath, it can also feel intimidating. If the sky is the limit, where does one even start?
Making time
As it turns out, Claudio Santopietro, head of Smart Factory consulting and automation at TRUMPF Inc., is a great place to start. With 30 years of industry experience and five years as TRUMPF’s software sales engineer and software solutions sales manager, he has a deep understanding of the challenges fabricators face today.
Unfortunately, however, a lot of people don’t know to come to Santopietro or TRUMPF’s Smart Factory consulting team for guidance. Lots of folks might not even realize they should be launching a smart factory initiative in the first place.
“Some customers just don’t have the time today to stop and identify the issues they might be experiencing,” Santopietro says. “And, actually, not having the time or being spread too thin is probably the biggest issue facing businesses today.”
In today’s fast-paced world, too many individuals and businesses are suffering from the chronic condition of “being too busy.” Not only does it keep things from getting better, in some ways, it makes matters worse. Santopietro says that it can get to the point where chaos is practically tolerated on some shop floors.
“Everybody loves a good before-and-after story, so picture this: Without the idea of a smart factory at the heart of daily operations, things are chaotic on the shop floor,” he explains. “Machine operators are working off printouts from the front office and not always sure they are up to date, forcing them to go looking for someone that might have an answer. People are reacting instead of being proactive, which has everyone running around in circles. Employees are stressed and customers might not always be happy.
“For customers that have embraced the smart factory concept, the work environment is a lot more organized,” he adds. “Processes are digitized and, in turn, smoother; parts are easy to find because everything is transparent; and employees are less stressed and can better concentrate on their work. The shop is even cleaner.”
To add to the benefits, equipment is running with higher uptime thanks to machine monitoring and predictive maintenance, customer satisfaction is through the roof thanks to higher quality work and part status transparency, and bottlenecks and waste are going the way of the dinosaur. So, after comparing how it is to how it could be, fabricators are motivated to carve out the time to consider the smart factory concept.
“All it takes is putting in a quick call to our Smart Factory consulting team,” Santopietro says. “It’s the first step in working together and showing what we can do to help.”
Employees benefits
There are a lot of preconceived ideas of what a smart factory is or what it can do for a business. One of the biggest misconceptions is that it displaces employees. The reality of the situation is that employees are often the biggest benefactors.
“The challenge for a lot of people working in production environments is job dissatisfaction and the uncertainty of their career path,” Santopietro says. “The smart factory concept, however, can actually open a lot of doors. Instead of doing the same thing week after week, year after year, employees can be reassigned to new roles with more responsibility and accountability.”
The various components of a smart factory, be it automation, AI or connected equipment, eliminate many of the labor-intensive and monotonous jobs that are already difficult to fill. But, because these systems all need someone at the controls, employees aren’t let go and are instead given more fulfilling duties.
Santopietro understands the struggles of manual laborers in manufacturing environments because he knows about them firsthand. “I used to be the guy working with my hands all day,” he says of some of his early roles in the industry.
So not only can the smart factory concept alleviate current employees’ stressors, in many instances, businesses need to hire more people because of the major productivity gains they achieve. It’s a stark contrast to the misconception that smart factories ultimately eliminate jobs.
Even better, when employees are happy, so, too, are employers. It’s no secret that happy employees are more productive employees. The dividends that come from pride in one’s workplace are enormous.
Assigning stakeholders
Santopietro notes the first step in getting started is as easy as picking up the phone. Some of those calls are straightforward where the fabricator has done the research and understands the benefits of the smart factory concept. Other conversations might be more problem-based where the fabricator is desperate to solve issues on their shop floor.
No matter the catalyst, there is a fair amount of discovery and brainstorming involved. In the initial phase, one of the first steps is identification of stakeholders.
“Developing a smart factory involves multiple departments, so it’s important to designate a project leader that can connect all of the right people,” Santopietro says. “Scheduling, shipping, manufacturing – everything needs to be coordinated together. This cross-facility synergy also helps everyone involved see the overall benefits of the project.”
In addition to designating a project leader and getting employee buy-in, it’s also important to identify the employees that are best-suited to learn the software. This could be experienced machine operators, programmers or anyone that has the proven characteristics to be a software project champion.
One step at a time
Assigning someone to take accountability of the software should be a major priority considering “the software is what makes the smart factory smart,” Santopietro says. Fortunately, TRUMPF’s software is scalable and developed with users in mind.
Oseon is the software from TRUMPF that makes a smart factory possible. It’s a tool that combines the functionality of the various software systems that might already be in place on a shop floor, including a manufacturing execution system (MES) and warehouse manufacturing system (WMS). As Santopietro says, it’s what makes a smart factory smart, and it’s the first step in introducing the smart factory concept.
In terms of its scalability, Oseon comes in an entry-level version that is incredibly approachable no matter the size of a business or the amount of equipment on the shop floor. For a small fabricator with only one or two machines, the entry-level option can primarily be used for machine monitoring.
“It can be as simple as connecting the software to just one machine,” Santopietro says. “The fabricator can continue to work as before, but after one month, the data the software collected can be incredibly insightful, showing how much the machine was producing or how much time it was idle.
“This data can be used to inspire major transformations on a shop floor,” he adds. “When a business owner or manager sees that a machine is only running 40 percent of the time, they’ll want to investigate the reasons why. As time passes and customers see the benefits of phase one, they often want to graduate into a second phase of the software.”
Plug and play
Knowing that everyone’s journey is different, Santopietro again stresses how important it is for TRUMPF’s solutions to be scalable and modular. He also puts an emphasis on the help that the Smart Factory consulting team can provide – whether it be for software and equipment selections or how to fit it all into a tight manufacturing space.
“We can design a concept layout to see how the new solution will fit in a building and in a workflow,” he says. “We can also help plan for future phases of the project, which could include machine additions, added software capabilities or extended storage systems. The beauty of the smart factory is that it can continue to evolve as a business grows.”
This, too, is counter to what many believe a smart factory is: a huge investment that takes forever to design and install and is outdated by the time it’s fully implemented. Interestingly, describing a smart factory as a custom solution might not be accurate, either.
“TRUMPF has very standard products that when plugged in together create a custom smart factory, but each product that’s used is still standard,” Santopietro says. “That means that if a customer wants to upgrade their smart factory because an older machine is being phased out, we can remove that machine and simply plug in a new one.
“People think that a ‘customizable solution’ requires long lead times for development, testing, installation, rethinking, redevelopment, readjustment, you name it,” he adds. “This solution, however, is plug and play. Again, it’s a standard product that we install, plug in and it’s ready to go.”
For customers that might need a little more assistance envisioning what a smart factory could look like in their own facilities – today or in the future – the Smart Factory consulting team will happily open the doors to their own version, which is located in Hoffman Estates, Ill., just outside of Chicago.
From the outside, TRUMPF’s 57,000-sq.-ft. Smart Factory is stunning, but it’s what’s inside that really wows customers. When they see the processes that are possible and the software and machines cohesively working together, a productive and profitable future seems more tangible.
Since opening the Smart Factory in 2017, TRUMPF now has 300 smart factory customers throughout North America. “And that number is growing,” Santopietro says. “This is the future of manufacturing.”
In the end, the smart factory concept is for anyone and they can do it at their own speed. The concept can be for one machine or a full shop floor of machines. It can grow as a business grows, and along the way, it can fix minor and major problems, improve employee morale, remove safety issues on the shop floor, and fix quality or customer service issues. It runs the full gamut and all it takes to get started is a simple phone call.
