A model for plant digitalisation, simulation and improvement: A case study in the automotive tier one supplier

Digital manufacturing has been proved as an enabler of process planning and decision making in industry, showing improved results with the adoption of this technique. Taking advantage of the interconnectivity offered by Industry 4.0 technologies, it is possible to analyse the entire process as individual entities with their characteristics. Besides, simulation creates a digital environment which relies on information to reflect the reality of manufacturing plants, the primary motivation of simulation investment is the creation of different scenarios targeting business' mission. The model presented in this article gathers information from different entities aided by Sensing, Smart and Sustainable (S3) characteristics in order to digitalise a manufacturing plant and improve the decision- making process. It targets the whole manufacturing process as an opportunity to improve practices among the enterprise business model, taking into account the infrastructure of the operations, workers and the flow of information and material. In one hand, Sensing and Smart attributes are embedded in new machines and technology to enable interconnectivity, on the other hand, Sustainability is achieved in the process by the joint effort of the executive council of the organisation.