SmartFactory – from Vision to Reality in Factory Technologies

Abstract In our daily life we are more and more dependent on the latest technologies in electronics and communication. Our mobile phones become powerful multimedia systems, our cars computer systems on wheels, and our homes will turn into smart living environments. All these advances must be turned into products for very cost-sensitive world markets in shorter cycles than ever before. The resulting requirements for design, setup, and operation of our factories become crucial for success. In the past, we often increased complexity in structures and control systems resulting in inflexible monolithic production systems. But the future must become “lean” – not only in organization, but also in planning and technology! We must develop technologies which allow us to speed up planning and setup, to adapt to rapid product changes during operation, and to reduce the planning effort. To meet these challenges we should also make use of the smart technologies of our daily life. The advances in wireless communication will allow us to avoid cables. Powerful mobile computers or smartphones will replace many of the traditional control panels and abstract services will replace bits and bytes in control. These advances will not only lead to mobility for machines and people but also to new challenges in system design. The SmartFactoryKL initiative was founded by many industrial and academic partners to create and operate a demonstration and research test bed for future factory technologies. Many projects develop, test, and evaluate new solutions. This presentation describes changes and challenges, and it summarizes the experience gained to date in the SmartFactoryKL approach.