Unlocking the Smart Factory, Eaton's winning formula for the digital future

SHANGHAI, China – With the continuous development of modern skills, Eaton, a global power management company, is accelerating the pace of digital transformation by using digital technologies and methods to promote revenue generation, activate internal production capacity, and establish a digital civilization. Among them, the most important thing is to establish a digital smart factory.

The concept of the Smart Factory was born out of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The concept of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, also known as Industry 4.0, first appeared in Germany and was officially proposed in 2013, referring to the era of using information technology to promote industrial transformation. Under the development trend of Industry 4.0, the Cyber-Physical System (CPS) will replace the electronic informatization under the third industrial revolution, indicating the trend of intelligent transformation of the manufacturing industry.

When we fantasize about the future of the manufacturing industry, we usually think of the scenario of intelligent robots automating operations on the production line. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg of the future of the manufacturing industry. To complete the intelligent factory, what we need is the intelligence of the three dimensions of manpower, technology and process.

First of all, intelligent manpower means that the management layer can optimize and measure the value of operations in an intelligent way; Industry 4.0 specialists can provide professional coaching, and have the ability to apply digital skills together with digital mindsets.

Secondly, Intellect Technology is an advanced operational skill based on Eaton's Industry 4.0 solution. Advanced skills can help factories perceive, analyze, and predict behavior in the manufacturing environment, ultimately achieving the goal of continuously improving productivity, improving product quality, and empowering the market. Eaton expects Industry 4.0 solutions to help factories increase productivity by 5%-10%.

In Asia Pacific, Smart Industry 4.0-based technologies are enabling Eaton's factories and manufacturing sites to improve operational quality and power:

1. Use Enhanced Practical Skills (AR) to complete remote on-site processing: Affected by the epidemic, many Eaton Asia-Pacific factories in Changzhou, Gusu, Pingdingshan, Bao'an and other cities have relied on Microsoft's HoloLens 2 holographic AR glasses for remote on-site processing. This skill assists managers and experts from different countries to conduct remote inspections and coaching of factories, and provides timely feedback and suggestions for subsequent operational improvements.

2. Improve production power and quality with cobots: At Eaton's Pyeongtaek Port plant in Korea, cobots work with operators during production or replace workers to complete some of the most difficult and dangerous tasks. These collaborative robots can enter or repeat boring, or chaotic and dangerous production processes, and ultimately improve the quality of batch production and increase the production power to ensure safe production;

3. Use additive manufacturing (also known as 3D printing) for planning and production: This skill uses software and numerical control systems to process polymer materials and metal materials, so as to complete the planning and production of things. Empowered by additive manufacturing skills, factories can accelerate the production process and complete the optimization of the effect in four dimensions - faster response time, shorter lead time, lower procurement cost and highly customized solutions;

4. Use digital training for production coaching: The AR smart projection table used in Eaton's Philippines factory can provide vivid audio-visual training and operation guidance with its projection skills, leading factory operators through every step of the production process. Together, the skill reduces the reliance on paper or electronic presentations, making production smarter, safer, and more efficient on the factory floor.

In addition, in addition to intelligent human resources and intelligent technology, the intelligent process is also an indispensable part of the completion of the intelligent factory. The completion of the intellectual process depends on a practical, holistic and structured approach. Eaton has developed a five-step methodology: (1) identify requirements based on transaction drivers and problems; (2) coordinate and prioritize with efficient management methods; (3) Promote the improvement of key points by establishing key items; (4) Integrate the appropriate Industry 4.0 skills into the model production line;(5) Expand the model production line outward to complete the talent factory.

In 2021, Eaton has deployed 27 Industry 4.0 model production lines in the Asia-Pacific region, and plans to add 39 in the future. When all the model lines cover up the existing ones, all the production lines in the factory will be integrated and connected – and in the future, smart data will be used not only within the smart factory, but also for customers, suppliers and warehouses. In other words, smart data will be integrated to serve all stakeholders.

Eaton's goal is to make the production process more efficient, reliable and sustainable. This philosophy shares Eaton's core belief that Eaton is committed to providing exceptional service to all of its customers and consistently exceeding expectations.

Unlocking the Smart Factory, Eaton's winning formula for the digital future

Unlocking the Smart Factory, Eaton's winning formula for the digital future

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