Customer Stories

Our world is evolving at a breakneck speed in this digital-first era, and manufacturers are increasingly embracing digital technologies in a bid to keep their businesses competitive and relevant. For these businesses, smart technologies such as robotic process automation, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, vision systems, and cloud and edge computing have proven to be some of the best ways to solve process inefficiencies and common factory challenges.

That said, advanced manufacturing technologies should be viewed as a means to an end and not the goal in and of itself. For the most part, manufacturers who have found success in furnishing their factories with Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies have correctly identified suitable applications that address specific issues like low production output and compromised product quality. However, companies pursuing IIoT-enabled manufacturing factories may find it challenging to efficiently implement and connect digital technologies with that of physical technologies on shop floors.

e-F@ctory: Unearthing the hidden value of data

Introduced in the early 2000s, Mitsubishi Electric’s e-F@ctory concept propels companies toward digital manufacturing success by providing a means to visualize current performance levels and to analyze gathered data from across the factory.

The e-F@ctory system acts as a platform that bridges the gap between a company’s information (IT) and operational technologies (OT). While IT and OT systems are expected to work with each other, a significant communication gap between them exists even till today. Mitsubishi Electric addresses this critical issue by connecting all the physical and digital assets — from shop floor to edge-computing, and IT — in one coherent enterprise system.

Mitsubishi Electric’s SMKL, Guiding You to Digital Manufacturing Success

To facilitate real-time data collection across the manufacturing enterprise, e-F@ctory makes use of the open integrated network, CC-Link IE TSN. Touted as the industry’s gold standard, the technology offers high-speed communication and deterministic control of large volumes of data, as well as multiple topology possibilities in support of highly scalable and flexible system architectures.

With CC-Link IE TSN as the backbone of the network, Mitsubishi Electric provides manufacturers with a reliable and easy way to establish seamless communication between various factory automation products and IT systems, therefore realizing an IIoT enabled network. What this means for business owners is the ability to visualise and analyze plant floor key performance indicators in real-time, and to make informed decisions to improve processes.

In addition, the e-F@ctory system supports manufacturers with a proprietary compact Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, Maisart. Equipped with deep learning, strengthened learning, and big data analysis capabilities, Maisart is built into devices and computers to enable real-time analysis, diagnosis, and processing of data.

To help customers optimize processes to effect positive change, Mitsubishi Electric employs an evaluation matrix known as the Smart Manufacturing Kaizen Level (SMKL). It examines the level of digital manufacturing present in factories and recommends small steps that produce measurable results at each juncture. Similar to Singapore’s Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI), SMKL maps the current usage of smart solutions in factories and supply chains, as well as the effectiveness of those solutions.

Additionally, within the Singapore context, SMKL mirrors SIRI’s objective to offer companies a practical and adaptable framework. In that way, Mitsubishi Electric helps companies to pinpoint their optimum starting point, suggest steps to scale operations, and identify ways to sustain growth.

Smart Manufacturing: Turning Ambition into Reality

Even with all the tools needed to achieve an IIoT-enabled factory within reach, what matters at the end of the day is how well these tools are harnessed.

For one such customer, Golden Packaging (Golden Pak), productivity and quality were two areas where they sought improvement. The China-based packaging equipment manufacturer, who supplies to beverage and pharmaceutical industries, wanted to take their manufacturing capabilities to the next level. The company decisively adopted the e-F@ctory system to identify the digital manufacturing areas that needed improvement, and later invested in solutions from Mitsubishi Electric’s e-F@ctory Alliance Partners. With Mitsubishi Electric’s comprehensive suite of solutions, Golden Pak enjoyed significant production cost reductions and managed a steady pace of meeting customers’ demand for higher quality packaging.

The e-F@ctory system also helps manufacturers achieve operational excellence by connecting and layering advanced technologies. A Japan-based confectionary manufacturer used e-F@ctory to identify and carry out improvement plans to its production process. Doing so helped the company increase its productivity levels and maintain the high-quality standards they are known for.

Furthermore, the company installed technologies that enabled the automation of quality checks. This was a process that was previously carried out manually, and hence was prone to human error. With e-F@ctory in place, the confectionary manufacturer was equipped with new analytic capabilities. As such, they were able to analyze data and conduct data diagnostics in real-time.

The value of smart factories

The smart factory’s value generally hinges on its ability to connect assets, processes, people, and devices with each other. With the right architecture in place, businesses can use smart data that is gathered across the connected ecosystem to achieve operational excellence throughout their factories.

As an integrated solution provider, Mitsubishi Electric collaborates with over 900 partners worldwide in a global network known as e-F@ctory Alliance. Collaborating with manufacturers of industrial components, specialised system integrators, and software providers, the company hopes to offer optimal solutions that meet the challenges of its customers in various regions, areas, and fields.

To learn more about Mitsubishi Electric’s e-F@ctory, please visit: https://sg.mitsubishielectric.com/fa/en/sols/index.html