Do Dark Factories Really Exist? The Reality of Industry 4.0

The first Industrial Revolution fundamentally altered the manufacturing process, resulting in previously inconceivable advances in efficiency, quality control, and consistency. Three further revolutions have occurred since then, with manufacturers now realizing the industrial automation benefits of Industry 4.0.

 

In theory, the next phase in this evolution would be full automation, in which workers would no longer be required to produce output. This environment, known as a dark factory, is completely automated, with no human labor necessary. Without this, such a facility can run in the dark, without heat, light, or other environmental necessities to service a workforce - hence the "dark factory" label.

 

What is a Dark Factory?

 

There are murky areas with this concept. In contrast to a dark factory, a fully automated factory uses robotics to do jobs, but the equipment must still be maintained by people. Another approach is to use co-botics, which are collaborative robots that assist employees with their tasks.

 

"In theory and practice, could you have a dark shift in a factory?" Courtin inquired. "That is both possible and more likely. For example, a autonomous, robotic midnight shift that works in the dark and prepares workstations with inventory could exist. Alternatively, items could be pre-picked in a warehouse and ready for processing and delivery by the following FTE shift."

 

The dark factory is the smart factory. It means that all of the processing, handling, testing, packing, and shipping procedures are done in the "dark factory" without the use of manual labor. The entire manufacturing process will be automated by industrial equipment or machinery. The primary goal of industrial robots is to replace manufacturing workers, lower production costs, and increase production efficiency. It is possible to switch off the light during operation, which is why we call it a "dark factory."

 

Right now, firms are less interested in implementing the complete dark factory concept and more focused on how technology might supplement labor, and this distinction gets lost in the excitement of robots," he explained. Some businesses have already used automated forklift technology, which uses a variety of components ranging from wrap-around cameras to microphones to allow staff to operate them remotely. Autonomous guided vehicles (AGV) take this technology a step further by removing the human operator entirely through the use of pre-programmed routes and jobs.

 

The term "dark factory" refers to a situation in which you have programmed robots or machines to operate for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So there will be no delays, no labor problems, and no heating or lighting expenditures to worry about. Only programming robots will be working for you.

 

Features of Dark Factory

 

1.  The entire system is autonomous: it can acquire and understand data from the outside world and itself, analyze and judge, and finally plan through its behavior. The complete system does not require manual intervention and can evaluate, learn, and execute on its own.

 

2. Visual technology practice: Combine signal processing, reasoning and prediction, simulation, and multimedia technologies to supplement reality and depict the design and production process in real-time.

 

3. Coordination, rearrangement, and expansion characteristics: Each unit in the system can construct the optimum system structure based on work tasks by itself.

 

4.  Self-learning and maintenance capabilities: The database can be supplemented and updated during the manufacturing process, and fault diagnosis can be performed automatically, with the ability to eliminate and maintain faults or notify the correct system.

 

While statistics don't lie, and we just showed you two examples of corporations transitioning to dark factories, the reality is that some individuals don't believe this is such a significant deal. Yan Vermeulen, Partner at Odgers Berndtson Singapore and Head of the Southeast Asia Industrial Practice, is one of these individuals. "In principle, I don't think dark factories are a drastic change," Yan says. For many years, factories have been becoming more automated. 

 

The only difference is that the lights are turned off, which is more of an economic choice than anything else. However, the shift to dark factories will eliminate manufacturing jobs in commodity categories that do not require either high personnel or high technological engagement. 

 

Also Read | Top 5 Real-life Examples of Industry 4.0

 

Advantages of Dark Production

 

Dark Factory is already a reality, on its way to becoming the new standard for mass production. Several causes have contributed to the growth of lights-out production, including:

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Advantages of the Dark Industry

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1. Lower Production Costs: 

 

The fundamental advantage of dark manufacturing is its low production costs. Because articulated robots may work in dark and non-climate-controlled environments, employee salaries are removed due to a lack of staff, hence conserving utilities.

 

2. Refines Environmental Footprint:

 

Lights-out manufacturing is a sustainable manufacturing strategy that reduces the impact on the environment. Newer industrial robots are more energy efficient. Furthermore, the high precision of robots decreases material waste and scrap, and because robots are carbon-free, they contribute to lower pollution levels.

 

3. Increased Productivity and Product Quality:

 

As a single robot can execute activities that would normally require numerous employees, robotics significantly increase factory productivity. Furthermore, accuracy and precision contribute to higher product quality. Because robots are programmed to follow application-specific instructions, workpiece homogeneity results in fewer discrepancies.

 

4.  Removes Labor Constraints:

 

In recent years, manufacturers have suffered labor shortages, particularly for skilled labor roles. The pool of workers interested in manual labor has diminished, making it difficult to fill positions. This issue is addressed by replacing employees in dark factories with automated equipment that fills robotic positioners.

 

5. Consistent and reliable operations:

 

One of the primary benefits of lights-out manufacturing is its consistency and dependability. Achieving the ability to operate without operator intervention entails addressing all potential reasons for line failure. You simply cannot operate light-out without a highly reliable facility. Having the ability to function completely automatically demonstrates how consistent and dependable your operations are, with benefits for both efficiency and potentially the quality of the final output. 

 

6. No labor required:

 

Another benefit of lights-out production is that it decreases the amount of labor necessary in your manufacturing activities. While there is a significant fixed cost in establishing the lines, this is mitigated over time because the ongoing cost of running the activities is likely to be significantly reduced. At the most extreme, your operations can run 24 hours a day with only the bare minimum of employees required to manage them. 

 

Drawbacks of Dark Factories

 

The benefits outlined above should be enough to make any manufacturer ecstatic and begin immediate implementation for their complete manufacturing process. However, there are other obstacles that producers must address. The problems that a manufacturer will face when implementing lights-out manufacturing are outlined below.

 

1. It may be expensive to achieve:

 

The high cost of implementation is one of the key disadvantages of lights-out production. Significant expenditures in automated manufacturing equipment are required, which may be many times more expensive than the ongoing costs of manual production. 

 

2. Setup and reconfiguration are difficult:

 

Another difficulty with lights-out manufacturing is that it can be difficult to establish and reconfigure should the product change. Aside from the expense, there is the lead time involved in setting up the production line, which may take months to get everything running smoothly.

 

The lead time associated with establishing the production line may delay your ability to launch your items, depending on the product and whether there will likely be significant design changes required over time. As a result, particularly in situations when the time to market is critical, a completely automated production line may generate unfavorable delays in the launch of your products. 

 

3. Technological Difficulties:

 

It is not as simple as flipping a switch and expecting excellent results the first time and every time. Setting up fully automated processes can be a difficult technological task that may necessitate a significant financial commitment. Scytec's DataXchange solution, for example, enables manufacturers to easily and quickly collect data from machines and use that data to estimate how effectively a machine or machine shop is running.

 

4. Complex Manufacturing:

 

Automation equipment is ideally suited to simple, repeatable operations. More complex jobs, as well as small-scale manufacturing runs and operations, may be more difficult to automate or gain sufficient value from.

 

5. Techniques for prevention and safety:

 

The big issue with having no humans on the shop floor is what happens when something goes wrong. Let's face it, something will go wrong in a production environment at some point, necessitating human intervention. This could cause significant financial loss to raw materials, physical real estate, machinery, and equipment. Fortunately, remote monitoring and automated machine failure detection can help to avoid these problems, and firms like FireTrace provide machine fire suppression systems.

 

Preventive maintenance is required in lights-out industries. Sensors can detect faults in machinery and react in time to prevent a disaster. A single-person strategy is also prevalent, in which one operator oversees all processes from a remote location and may take effective corrective action in the event of an emergency or catastrophe. Scytec provides products such as DataXchange remote monitoring features, which allow customers to monitor automated operations using a smartphone or other device.

 

Also Read | What is Industry 4.0? How does it benefit Different Companies?

 

Summing Up

 

Industry 4.0 is transforming how businesses make, improve, and distribute their products. Manufacturers are incorporating new technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing and analytics, and AI and machine learning into their manufacturing facilities and processes.

 

These smart factories are outfitted with cutting-edge sensors, embedded software, and robotics that collect and analyze data to help with decision-making. When data from manufacturing operations are coupled with operational data from ERP, supply chain, customer service, and other enterprise systems, whole new levels of visibility and insight from previously segregated information are formed. This digital technology leads to improved automation, predictive maintenance, self-optimization of process improvements, and, most importantly, a hitherto unattainable degree of efficiency and customer responsiveness.

 

Developing smart factories gives the manufacturing industry an excellent potential to enter the fourth industrial revolution. Analyzing massive amounts of big data received from factory floor sensors offers a real-time view of manufacturing assets and can provide tools for performing predictive maintenance to reduce equipment downtime. 

 

The future of manufacturing is unquestionably linked to dark factories. Many manufacturers have been successful in moving technology projects beyond the pilot Incstage. Furthermore, many smart factories around the world will serve as excellent examples of effectively integrating industrial IoT technologies with a real-world impact.

 

Some manufacturing facilities are decades old and are frequently located in brownfield areas. A dark factory conversion would necessitate a considerable capital expenditure as well as a suspension of activities so that the new equipment could be installed, calibrated, and tested before operations resumed. Building from the ground up presupposes that the operation will never require workers, which can limit the facility's future if operations alter. Nonetheless, the concept fascinates the manufacturing business. It remains to be seen whether entirely dark factories will ever become the norm.