Digital Factories 2020: Shaping the future of manufacturing

whitePaper | January 9, 2023

Modern manufacturing theory, tools, and best practices are focused on how to make thousands or millions of identical parts or products at a low cost per unit. Custom and low volume production pose unique challenges that require manufacturers to adapt from typical mass production models. Thanks to the rapid development of technologies and materials over the last decade, additive manufacturing has grown more capable as a true manufacturing tool and can now enable the fabrication of these custom and low volume end-use parts rapidly and cost-efficiently. This white paper presents Formlabs 3D printing hardware and material solutions for end-use part production. It documents various users' case studies and includes stress testing results to verify the suitability of 3D printing materials for end-use applications.

whitePaper | September 10, 2022

From the very beginning, SmarterChain’s vision has been to democratize top-tier supply chain knowledge and expertise. Through the years, we have been fortunate to work with best-in-class organizations and academic institutions and understand the importance of easy and systemic access to practical, top-tier strategic advice. As a plan of action designed to achieve a longterm ambition, strategy is what makes or any type of organization from a company, a nation, or an individual. The word ‘strategy’ itself comes from the ancient Greek words for ‘army’ (‘stratos’) and ‘lead’ (‘egy’) – it means leading your army into battle. And, as such, strategy is about the leadership required to make big ambitions a reality. For centuries, the biggest, most influential organizations and companies have led with radical approaches that have shaped the way we do business, as well as how we teach business to future generations.

whitePaper | March 16, 2022

What is lights-out warehousing? The simple answer is a facility without people. One that relies entirely on automated equipment, to the point that no manual touches are necessary. With no employees required on the floor, operations do not need to turn the lights on, hence the term “lights-out warehousing.”

whitePaper | December 9, 2022

The manufacturing sector is no stranger to change. Over the course of three industrial revolutions, companies have relied on everything from water and steam to electricity and information technology to power their operations, provide services and make products. But the evolution taking place with Industry 4.0, which McKinsey & Company defines as “a new wave of technological changes that will trigger a paradigm shift in manufacturing,” may be the most significant change of all.

whitePaper | October 24, 2022

Additive Manufacturing (AM) which is also known as 3D printing has received increased attention over the last couple of years and has proven to be an innovative manufacturing technology that can be applied in multiple industrial sectors. However, the term „Additive Manufacturing“ includes a large variety of technologies that offer different advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, according to the desired characteristics of the finished part, one technology can be more suitable for the manufacturing of the part than another. This results in the challenge to select the adequate technology for a specific application.

whitePaper | April 18, 2023

Deploying dedicated cellular-enabled industry 4.0 solutions can generate an operational cost savings ROI of 10x to 20x over 5 years. In aggregate, these solutions can generate 8.5% in Operational Cost Savings, which equates to US$200 to US$600 per sqm per year for a factory or industrial site.