The construction of smart factories and digital workshops has become key to enhancing production efficiency, optimizing resource allocation, and strengthening market competitiveness. Achieving this goal requires the comprehensive application of advanced technologies, optimization of management processes, and ensuring the effective integration of various systems. The following will detail the key steps and strategies for realizing smart factories and digital workshops.
1.Digital modeling and simulation
Digital modeling can simulate process flows and layouts, conduct virtual simulations, optimize production line design, reduce risks and costs in actual construction, and enable full-process digital management in planning, production, and operations.
2、Integration of information systems
Wisdom factories rely on the coordinated use of information systems, including ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), MES (Manufacturing Execution System), SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition), and WMS (Warehouse Management System). These systems work together to automatically, in real time, and accurately transmit and integrate data from R&D to production, from supply chain to customers, thereby improving production efficiency and product quality.
3、Application of Automation and Intelligent Equipment
Introduce high-end numerical control machine tools, industrial robots, intelligent sensors, and edge computing gateways, achieving automation and intelligence in the production process. The interconnectivity and high integration of these devices enhance production efficiency, reduce human errors, and enable real-time monitoring and optimization of the production process.
4、Data Collection and Analysis
Establish a complete data collection and analysis system. Zongheng Intelli-Control achieves the connection between traditional equipment and information systems through edge computing gateways and data acquisition terminals to obtain real-time production progress, equipment status, and quality inspection data. By analyzing these data, bottlenecks and issues in production can be identified, allowing for timely adjustments and optimizations to improve production efficiency and product quality.
Such as in a certain automobile production workshop, there are numerous types of equipment distributed widely, with a huge amount of data. The traditional centralized data processing model is difficult to meet the requirements of real-time and efficiency. Therefore, the edge computing gateway provided by Zongheng Intelligent Control is introduced, used for local data collection, analysis, and monitoring, achieving improvement in production efficiency and optimization of equipment status management.
Implement process
（1）Equipment networking and data collection: Various production equipment (such as stamping machines, welding machines, painting equipment, etc.) are connected to the edge computing gateway via industrial protocols (such as Modbus, OPC UA, etc.). The gateway collects in real-time the equipment operation status, production data, and energy consumption data.
（2）Edge Computing and Data Processing: Edge computing gateways process the collected data locally, such as real-time analysis of abnormal conditions and optimization of device operating parameters, reducing dependence on the cloud. Important data is synchronized and transmitted to the central management platform for further analysis and decision-making.
(3) Monitoring and Alarm Function: The gateway provides real-time production data display through an integrated visual interface. In case of equipment abnormal conditions (such as overheating or operational failures), the system can automatically trigger an alarm and record the event to notify maintenance personnel to handle it promptly.
5、Network Architecture and Information Security
Using advanced network technologies such as 5G and industrial Ethernet, build an interconnected network architecture within the factory to achieve efficient collaboration and integration among various processes. Establish an industrial information security management system and technical protection framework to ensure network protection and emergency response capabilities, guaranteeing the safety of the production process.
6.Application of digital twin technology
Digital twin technology creates digital replicas of physical entities to monitor, simulate, and optimize production processes in real-time, improving the efficiency of shop floor management, planning, and control, and promoting continuous improvement and optimization of the production process.
7、Employee Training and Organizational Change
During the process of promoting smart factories and digital workshops, employees gain training to master the use of new technologies and tools, improving their overall quality and adapting to new production models. Organizational structures are also optimized to promote collaboration between departments, ensuring the effective implementation and operation of new systems.
8、Continuous improvement and optimization
The construction of smart factories and digital workshops is not achieved overnight, and it is necessary to continuously sum up experience in practice and carry out continuous improvement and optimization. By regularly evaluating the performance of the system, identifying deficiencies and making timely adjustments, we ensure that the system always meets the development needs of the enterprise.
Case Analysis: Digital Transformation of a Manufacturing Enterprise (More Cases)
As an example, a cigarette factory has strict requirements for product quality, and real-time detection and monitoring of packaging quality during production are of great significance for ensuring the qualification rate of products. However, traditional offline detection methods are difficult to meet the fast production rhythm and high quality standards. Therefore, the company introduced products from ZongHengZhiKong, achieving a transformation from traditional production to a digital workshop.
Implement process
(1) Deployment of intelligent online inspection equipment: Online inspection equipment is installed on the production line for real-time detection of the appearance quality, size and packaging integrity of roll package products. The device is equipped with high-definition cameras and sensors for all-round detection.
(2) Data collection and analysis: The testing equipment uploads quality inspection data in real-time to a local server via an edge computing gateway. The edge gateway classifies, filters, and performs preliminary analysis on the data. When abnormal products are detected, the rejection mechanism is immediately triggered.
(3) Integrated Management Platform: The system integrates edge-end data with the factory’s MES system and central quality management system, providing a real-time monitoring interface. Managers can view quality data statistics, trend analysis, and historical records through the platform.
（4）Remote Monitoring and Feedback: The system supports remote access, allowing managers to monitor the production line status anytime and anywhere via mobile devices. For quality issues detected, the system can automatically generate feedback reports to provide a basis for production adjustments.
Achieving a smart factory and digital workshop requires comprehensive coordination and cooperation of technology, management, and human resources. Through digital modeling, information system integration, application of automated equipment, data analysis, network architecture construction, application of digital twin technology, employee training, and continuous improvement, enterprises can successfully move towards the new era of intelligent manufacturing, enhance market competitiveness, and achieve sustainable development.
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