Industry 4.0 envisions the smart factory of the future

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GF Machining Solutions Mikron Agie Charmilles AG

Solutions to meet industry’s challenges

GF Machining Solutions’ machines have already some features of such systems, which are capable of sensing and acting in the physical world, and “thinking” in the cyber world. That “thinking,” which includes planning, analysing, modelling, memorising, combining, and optimising in the cyber world, can then be fed back into the physical world of manufacturing. Examples are machine tools with intelligent vision units or that are connected to measurement machines delivering in-process characterisation and error compensation, the GF Machining Solution’s T.R.U.E. (True Response to User Expectation) solution, and making self-optimising manufacturing cells, the ultimate stage in the Industry 4.0 vision. Nevertheless, when installed in the customer environment, information does not flow smoothly in such systems due to the lack of interoperability and the dependence on human intervention.

“Our Industry 4.0 approach envisions a seamless, connected factory where cyber-physical systems communicate and collaborate with each other, but also, at a new level, with our customers and employees,” Perez says. The backbone of such complex software and hardware integration will be provided through a joint venture with Cimforce, a company which has developed the bridges between sophisticated but disparate software products currently used by the most advanced industries in our strategic segments.

“Thanks to this partnership, we are developing cyber-physical systems that enable the essential steps of continuous process improvement: plan, execute, sense, optimise,” says Perez. “Integrated on different layers, from the shop floor to the logistics and human resource management systems that will interact autonomously with one another, the ‘smart factory’ will be highly intelligent: every facet will contribute to optimisation of the overall factory.”

According to Perez, GF Machining Solutions’ engineers and customers will always play an active, decision-making role but, under Industry 4.0, they will be helped by new simulation and sensor-enriched monitoring tools, following up in real time and keeping traceable records of the key process indicators: “This will save our customers time to innovate and expand their markets, and to meet the key requirements for making a profitable business in a competitive and volatile economic environment.”

“The high-level interaction of virtual mirrors of the part quality, such as our existing eTracking, with our experts’ knowledge, will define the first step in the architecture of a fully intelligent environment,” Perez explains. “In further steps, the systems will provide real-time, reconfigurable process-flow optimisation with GF Machining Solutions’ embedded expertise. On the service side, the Division’s systems will target autonomy with remote system health and logistics management, reinforcing our business relationships with customers.”

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