System Architecture for Industrie 4.0 Production Plants

whitePaper | February 4, 2022

Digitalization is an evolving process that took roots several decades ago. The first business computers and data storage units emerged in the 1950s. In the 1960s, companies invested in databases and automated processes to make reservations and plan materials or to gain easier access to schedules/inventories, MRP was born in response to the Toyota Production Systems and Methods. In the 1970s, banking experienced its first digital advancement with the invention of ATMs, which ignited a major digitization trend

whitePaper | July 6, 2020

In a recent global survey of approximately 200 manufacturers, participants revealed a desire to realize the alluring promise of smart manufacturing. Their success hinges on three factors: their ability to identify what will improve the business and articulate the desired outcomes, select transformative technology to optimize company processes, and implement that technology to fully realize the anticipated value. This study from Plex Systems, developed with the support of LNS Research, explores common manufacturing challenges alongside evolving technology solutions, with an eye toward creating a blueprint that helps companies successfully navigate and achieve business transformation.

whitePaper | November 2, 2022

This white paper entitled "Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing" reports the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in European manufacturing, and its potential to enhance competitiveness and technological leadership in the future. The paper is based on research conducted by the Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing NETwork (AIM-NET), which represents the viewpoint of the manufacturing community on the achievements and challenges of AI solutions. The document covers topics such as AI in manufacturing processes, robots, machines, and operations support in manufacturing, and AI in manufacturing systems. It also includes discussions on cross-cutting aspects such as regulation, education, systems engineering, and data augmentation. The paper also presents the maturity achieved TRL levels of existing AI-based applications in manufacturing, typical KPIs used to assess performance, and barriers and limitations to wide adoption. It also provides a roadmap for future work on AI, with efforts needed in short-term and long-term time horizons. Overall, the paper provides a comprehensive overview of the current status and future vision of AI in manufacturing for policy makers, practitioners, and researchers.

whitePaper | July 31, 2022

Additive Manufacturing (AM) developments go back several decades, but stereolithography was the first commercial use of AM in the late 1980s using polymeric materials, and was widely used initially in the automotive industry sector. The aerospace industry adopted AM in the mid-1990s using polymer AM parts for non-structural production applications, and there are now a multitude of AM parts on commercial aircraft such as air ducts, brackets, and clips.

whitePaper | September 21, 2022

Additive manufacturing (AM) has matured significantly as a manufacturing technique over the last 5 years. Along with this, knowledge of AM within companies has increased and its opportunities are increasingly discussed at board-level. Time and budget are invested to explore the potential for 3D printing beyond the most obvious applications. More than ever before, there’s an appetite to take a strategic approach and maximize the opportunity

whitePaper | May 19, 2023

For the better part of a decade, manufacturers have made significant strides to drive efficiencies, boost agility, and improve product quality by implementing data-capture sensors and analytics systems. Now, they are capitalizing on that foundation to optimize interconnectivity, automation, machine learning, and real-time data to further enhance production outcomes and improve worker safety and well-being.