(NAPSA)—Future smart factories may looklike something out of a sci- ence-fiction movie but they'll also contain a familiar element: people. The idea is to improveflexibility and efficiency between humans and machines as they work in harmony. Instead ofbeing isolated in steel cages, collaborative robots or “cobots” will workside-by-side with humans. “Humans aren't going away,” says Ian Simmons, Magna Vice President of Business Development and R&D. “There is enough of a shortage of man- In smart manufacturing plants, robots do the dull and dirty work, leaving humans free to do the ics and use people where they are best thingsthatrequire intelligence and used—assembling things that require dexterity. ufacturing labor that you can augment assembly and manual tasks with robotdexterity andintelligence. Robots will do the dirty anddulltasks.” equipment and line integrators,’ says plants may alsofeature: is leading the Advanced Robotics and These advanced manufacturing Alex Zak, the Director of R&D who + Advancedrobotic systemsperforming manufacturing initiative.“It's a platform complex assembly tasks. technologythatis used in academia and + Automated intelligent vehicles that one-off complex robotics systems, such completely handle material flow as the NASAspace program,” through theplant. + Predictive analytics used to schedule repairs and maintenance before machines break down. Artificial intelligence providing real- time data, so managers can immediately react to a concern or quality issue. + Drones flying above assemblylines, checking inventory and mapping heat loss with infrared cameras. “Certain aspects are coming soon? Simmonssays. “Are we seeing a whole Wearable Tech Can Improve Manufacturing Smart watches, tablets and virtual reality (VR) headsets are previewing the future of smartfactories ata Magna Mechatronicsdivision. Dortec Industries is conducting a pilot project providing approximately 200 employees with wearable technology. Wearable tech can: + Reduce Downtime: Instant messaging replacesinefficient paperwork, intercomsand walkie-talkies. variety of applications for smart-factory technologyto increase productivity and profitability? Absolutely.” Improve Training: Virtual reality Industry 4.0 Improve Communication: Wearable perform complex tasks on the assembly line. But Magna’s advanced robotic Improve Quality: Bottlenecks and Advanced Robotics Technology for Boost Efficiency and Productivity: Response time increases and down- Advanced Robotics Preview Conventionalindustrial robots can’t system is taking robots to the next level. Corporate R&D developed the Core high-volumeauto production.Thefirst industrial application was launched at Magna’s Vehtek Systems in Ohio, where the advanced robotic system features human-like robotic operations. Camera systemslet these robots identify components, pick them up and understand where they mustbeplaced. “We could not see any platform or technologylike this coming from our traditional suppliers and production headsets let operators practice hand motions in the classroom. tech is on the personatall times. issues are easier to track. Data and analytics ensure that every assembly line has the supportit needs. time decreases. “The workforce loves it—even the people who have never owneda smartphone’says Andrew Lukachko, a Main- tenance Supervisorat the plant. “In the past, it was all paperwork and hard to manage. Now, we have a newtool to record completed work and receive requests.It gives usa directline to each other”
