Integrations
Interview with Dr. oec. HSG Dr. phil. Jörn Lengsfeld, a German economist, management expert and communication scientist What are some of the current trends you’re seeing with robotics and automation in the machining and manufacturing industry? Advanced automation, additive manufacturing and Digital Transformation – those are major trends shaping the future of manufacturing. Automation is driven by advances in robotics. It is taking different directions: On the one hand, absolute automation leads to lights-out manufacturing in dark factories, eliminating human labor completely. On the other hand, responsive robotics allows for closer human-robot collaboration, referred to as Coboting. Also on the horizon is Robofacturing as a form of flexible robotic craftsmanship. All of this is of operative nature, changing the way production is conducted. Going even further, with additive manufacturing we see a new archetype of production itself, fundamentally changing the very nature of how objects are brought into being: Conjunctive Emergence contrasts established archetypes of subtractive and transformative manufacturing. Finally, Digital Transformation is changing the functional logic of the systems of which manufacturing is a part of – value chains, markets and the society at large.
What are dark factories and lights out manufacturing? Lights-out Manufacturing is a form of production, which is characterized by end-to-end automation that allows for a manufacturing process without the need for direct human intervention at the production site. The term alludes to the notion that fully automated processes could also function in the dark, as no human presence is required. This notion
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also led to the coining of the term “Dark Factory”. Of course, both are meant metaphorically. In fact, many robots rely heavily on optical sensors, which is why many Dark Factories will be brightly illuminated.
What is “robofacture,” and what does this mean for modern manufacturing practices? Robofacture is a form of production characterized by flexible robotic collaboration, meaning that a plurality of robots with different specializations work together in alternating combinations to produce diverse end products. The concept is derived from the notion of "manu-facture" in its original meaning of “production by hands”. A manufacturer is a production facility in which specialized workers with various skills collaborate in a partially structured way to produce a diverse set of complex products. The notion of a Robofacture supports that concept to the Digital Era.
How realistic is a “robofacture” manufacturing environment in today’s manufacturing landscape? We are not there yet. And it will take some time to get there. The rise of Robofactures is not imminent. However, one should not be deceived: We are probably heading in that direction. The prerequisites for the emergence of Robofactures are flexibility, versatility, responsiveness and adaptive cooperation. And we are seeing robotics making great strides in those regards. Therefore, we should let go of the notion that absolute automation is only feasible in mass production of standardized products with unchanging processes and permanent production lines. It will be of use
