Smart Manufacturing

CHAPTER 14Improving Life on the Factory Floor with Smart Technology

Miles Schofield and Aaron Pompey PhD

Introduction

In this chapter we discuss the history, current state, and future trends of manufacturing and how it will impact the life of factory workers. The factories of the future will be a far cry from their historical counterparts, requiring high skill levels but offering rewarding careers. Smart Manufacturing will bring automation on a number of technological fronts and to all types of manufacturing. We also discuss the key challenges to be overcome, and the responsibilities of the factory workers of the future.

There are several definitions of what is entailed in Smart Manufacturing. Simply put, Smart Manufacturing is the future state of manufacturing that is creating new and exciting career paths. Smart Manufacturing is also the current state of manufacturing, especially in countries where labor expenses continue to rise rapidly. For this discussion, we define Smart Manufacturing as follows: the automation of a modern dynamic manufacturing process such that only three primary job types are needed: service, in which the employee must perform scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on tools; application, in which employees must adapt the current structure to new product and tool types; and operator, where skilled labor that cannot be automated effectively must be performed.

Life on the Factory Floor from 1700 to Today

Life on the factory floor has changed dramatically ...