Seeing the Four Modernizations
China's manufacturing industry has reached a critical juncture in its transformation and upgrading, but the essence still revolves around four key terms: automation , informatization, digitalization, and intelligentization. Not all manufacturing industries need to achieve technological upgrading through these "four modernizations"; different stages of development for the same enterprise require different upgrading strategies; and different types of manufacturing industries need to consider upgrading paths suited to their own development patterns.
Figure 1. Historical Transformation and Upgrading Path of Chinese Manufacturing
Industry 4.0 can indeed help enterprises transform and upgrade, but the question is from which angle to approach it. Let's explore this by examining several major transformations and upgrades that Chinese enterprises have undergone in history.
From a historical perspective, information technology upgrades and automation upgrades can be regarded as the two main lines and conceptual carriers of the transformation and upgrading of China's manufacturing industry.
Information technology upgrades have generally gone through the MIS, ERP, and post-CIMS eras. While undergoing IT transformation, enterprises often need to streamline or even restructure their management processes to align with international standards. It could even be said that each IT upgrade for Chinese enterprises has been a process of aligning with international standards. For example, the initial IT upgrades focused on financial systems. At that time, financial statements had to be modified according to internationally accepted accounting standards, and computers were becoming increasingly widespread. Therefore, enterprises initially achieved international alignment of accounting standards by implementing computer and computerized software projects. With the popularization of computers and the maturity of database technology, various organizations developed their own small-scale Management Information Systems (MIS). Subsequently, more and more standardized products emerged, and MIS companies flourished. At this stage, MIS products included inventory management, library management, vehicle management, and customer information management.
The emergence of ERP has gone through several processes, including MRP and MRPII. Later, it integrated external CRM and SCM to become enterprise management.
Later, as more and more multinational corporations entered China, it objectively required their Chinese branches or local suppliers to adopt compatible enterprise information systems and supply chain management systems. At the same time, it required Chinese companies to reform according to modern business processes. Therefore, Business Process Reengineering (BPR) was a concept that almost accompanied ERP. The generally accepted idea at the time was that introducing ERP was not merely purchasing software, but rather introducing a modern management system—a transformation of thinking.
At that time, the concept of CIMS (Content Integration System) emerged in academia, which aims to eliminate information silos. Concepts such as concurrent manufacturing and group technology also arose.
The post-CIMS era can be described as a period of great development for information systems. In addition to management departments, product R&D and design departments are also undergoing paperless upgrades. CAD and CAM are being used extensively, CAE is being applied, and production departments are starting to use CAPP and MES.
Another main theme is automation upgrades. It should be said that since the founding of the People's Republic of China, complete sets of equipment have been introduced from abroad, and key industries (process manufacturing) have directly entered the 2.0 or even 3.0 era.
Beginning in the 1990s, process industries began to implement DCS projects extensively. The power, petrochemical, cement, and steel industries saw rapid increases in automation levels, while also introducing advanced control technologies from abroad. In contrast, discrete manufacturing lags far behind in automation, primarily relying on the purchase of advanced CNC machine tools. Simultaneously, it rapidly accumulates process experience and improves its technological capabilities through equipment and tool suppliers. This demonstrates that automation upgrades not only involve the introduction of devices and equipment but also indirectly involve the introduction of new processes.
With the increasing number of devices, there is a need for unified monitoring of equipment and production parameters. This has led to a surge in the collection of on-site data and the creation of visual interfaces to support existing management systems. Consequently, automation upgrades based on industrial communication technologies continue to flourish. These upgrades began in process industries: oilfield data acquisition, smart meters, coal mine automation and information collection, and cement system monitoring. MES (Manufacturing Execution System) is also being applied in the heavy petroleum industry.
During this period, automation and information technology products began to converge, and automation and information technology companies started competing in the market. Siemens also unified its automation and information technology business units into one department, and the concept of "integration of informatization and industrialization" began to be proposed in China. The integration of Chinese manufacturing with world-class standards was essentially complete. The next step is to consider how to continue industrial upgrading in the era of Industry 4.0.
(1) Automation
First, we need to consider "automation" versus "manualism." "Automated production" is the counterpart to "manual production." Generally, automation upgrades refer to replacing manual labor with automated equipment and devices. Therefore, any work that humans cannot or are unwilling to do can be upgraded through automation. The simpler, more repetitive, and heavier the production process, the more suitable an automation upgrade strategy is, such as handling, packaging, and painting. Conversely, the more complex the movements and the greater the reliance on human dexterity, the less suitable an automation upgrade is, such as electronic product assembly, leather goods manufacturing, garment making, and aircraft engine assembly. Of course, this only considers the technical aspects; economic factors also need to be considered, such as production scale and model.
According to the definition of Industry 4.0, the Modicon PLC (later acquired by Schneider Electric), which appeared in 1968, is regarded as a groundbreaking product in automation.
(2) Information Management
It should be said that the term "enterprise informatization" became popular along with the widespread adoption of ERP, whose predecessors were MRP and MRPII. Going back further, there were computerized accounting software, inventory management software, and so on. The popularity of these types of software was based on the maturity of database systems.
With the popularization of such software, "MIS (Management Information System)" emerged, and the MIS market expanded rapidly. Due to the need to align accounting standards with international standards, the mainstay of MIS at that time was computerized accounting software, and the booming market also made domestic software companies such as Kingdee and Yonyou successful.
The late 20th century was a golden age for multinational corporations' global expansion. Foreign companies entering China brought not only advanced management models but also a market demand for enterprise management information systems. These corporations required local Chinese suppliers to integrate their management systems, forcing Chinese companies to rapidly implement ERP projects. This period not only catapulted some ERP companies to prominence but also created numerous ERP software implementation and information system consulting firms, such as BearingPoint and Accenture.
In the early 2000s, opinions on ERP within the industry were mixed, but everyone gradually put it into practice. This led to the rise of SAP, now Europe's leading software company.
A common consensus is that implementing ERP for businesses is not simply about buying software; it requires streamlining and re-establishing management processes. This has led to the emergence of the popular term "Business Process Reengineering (BPR)," largely a marketing gimmick used by vendors to promote ERP projects. While the general functions of ERP systems are now quite mature, their integration with deeper aspects of business operations presents entirely new challenges and upgrades.
Including ERP, the software mentioned in this paragraph all use MIS to manage enterprises, essentially representing the informatization of enterprise business and operations. At the same time, informatization is also being implemented in areas directly related to manufacturing, such as product design, production equipment, and quality management.
(3) Information-based manufacturing and digital manufacturing
Here, we must mention CIMS (Computer Integrated Manufacturing System). CIMS aims to integrate individual computer-aided software (CAX) systems, eliminating information silos. This concept, originating in the United States, was also experimented with in Germany, but neither achieved the same level of success as in China. In China, its rise predates ERP. ERP can be considered information integration geared towards business, while CIMS is information integration geared towards manufacturing; both were initially understood as forms of informatization. Besides integrating system modules such as CAD (Computer-Aided Design), CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing), CAT (Computer-Aided Inspection), and CAPP (Computer-Aided Process Planning), CIMS explicitly proposes a logical hierarchical structure and integrates theoretical concepts from methodologies such as agile manufacturing, concurrent engineering, and virtual manufacturing.
However, technology paid the price for its premature development. China also paid the price for "rushing into things without thinking things through."
The failure of CIMS stemmed from its overly advanced conception; related technologies and products were not yet mature. Following CIMS, the industrial software market entered an era of major consolidation. For example, PDM (Product Data Management), which evolved from CAD product data management, achieved product "digitalization" through the information management of the product BOM. While the concept of "digitalization" is now often misused, it should be understood as originating from 3D digital modeling. At least in a business context, "digitalization" must be accompanied by 3D graphics and dynamic simulation. For instance, "product digitization" refers to building product models using 3D digital models, while "factory digitization" requires factory-specific modeling.
The current environment for digital manufacturing far surpasses that of CIMS. A wide range of design software is in use, and numerous digital resources and virtualization products have entered the mainstream. DigitalThread and DigitalTwin are being applied more extensively.
In the past 30 years of modernization of Chinese enterprises, in addition to the rapid implementation of information technology projects, another main theme has been automation upgrades. In process manufacturing industries (such as petrochemicals, cement, and food), a large number of distributed control systems (DCS) and instrumentation automation projects have rapidly emerged, and domestically produced DCS systems, such as those from Zhejiang University Control System Co., Ltd., Hollysys, and even Xinhua Control System Co., Ltd. before its acquisition by GE, have achieved significant development. In discrete manufacturing industries, enterprises have purchased a large number of CNC and automated logistics equipment. The ensuing problem is how to obtain this field data and utilize this real-time data.
Ten years ago, when designing plans, the schematics would often depict a server and a laptop at opposite ends of a cloud and a wall icon, respectively, with a lightning bolt symbol between the laptop and the cloud icon to represent wireless data exchange with a firewall. Now, "cloud" solutions simply add phone and tablet icons next to the laptop. The evolution of things is merely a matter of adding elements.
When discussing digitalization, data acquisition and configuration software are indispensable. These products originated as development kits provided by DCS or PLC manufacturers to facilitate user interface development. Later, many independent configuration software vendors emerged, offering graphical interfaces to visually visualize data changes. This gave rise to the concept of "Human Machine Interface (HMI)," so "graphical" often refers to products or projects related to human-machine interaction, such as workstation panels and electronic dashboards.
SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) is the link between automation and information technology. It serves as a bridge between automated equipment and information management software, and is also a transitional zone where automation and information technology are integrated.
The data left behind by these early software programs is precisely the "black gold" of today's industrial big data. It's deeply buried within equipment, modules, and systems, never to see the light of day. Industrial big data practitioners need extraordinary wisdom to unearth this "black gold."
(4) Intelligent
There are many different definitions of "intelligent control," and there is no unified standard. Currently, many complex control systems seem to be called "intelligent control," and it seems that the next generation of control systems is called "intelligent control."
Strictly speaking, true intelligentization requires extensive modeling and algorithms, along with essential artificial intelligence technologies, including heuristic algorithms, machine learning, and deep learning. By this standard, the control algorithms of many advanced control systems can already be considered intelligent, but truly intelligent management information systems do not yet exist in the market. The trend towards intelligentization of information systems is quite clear, especially after AI projects began to receive significant funding. Complex formulas previously only found in academic journals and used in manufacturing scheduling algorithms are now finding practical applications.
Currently, many remote monitoring applications are touted as models of " smart manufacturing " or "industrial internet," with artificial intelligence frequently involved. However, this "remote monitoring" actually originated from "remote meter reading." Initially, in oil fields, mines, and other field environments where monitoring the operational status of equipment was required, telegraph technology (RTU) was used, later SMS. In the era before widespread smartphones, mobile web clients were also used, while now it's primarily based on mature 3G/4G networks combined with mobile apps.
Regarding the level of informatization or intelligentization: In short, the more complex the production management, the higher the required level of intelligence for the information technology software.
Enterprises suitable for intelligent upgrades, or those that are well-suited to choosing highly intelligent information systems, typically possess the following characteristics:
☆ Numerous product lines, diverse processes, a wide variety of parts, and complex supply chain management;
☆These enterprises primarily involve assembly processes and are mostly labor-intensive.
Typical industries: home appliances, clothing, digital products, etc.
The most suitable extreme example for implementing intelligent manufacturing is product repair, which has the following characteristics:
☆Each repair project is different, therefore the production model is based on single-piece customization;
☆The procedures for each repair project are quite complex, with no fixed pattern and almost no set rules to follow;
☆Maintenance (production) data is difficult to define, even more difficult to measure, and difficult to collect;
☆The cycle time for each repair project cannot be quantified. The higher the complexity of the product, the greater the uncertainty of the repair cycle.
Therefore, when faced with such complex problems, only "intelligentization" can solve them.
Currently, everyone has their own presupposed definitions for intelligentization, making the boundaries between automation and intelligentization, and between digitalization and intelligentization, very blurred. Furthermore, with " intelligent manufacturing becoming the main battleground for the nation," many ordinary automation projects are also being labeled as intelligent manufacturing projects.
The four quadrants of production flexibility
In the Industry 4.0 framework, personalized customization is repeatedly mentioned. This necessitates careful consideration of the "flexibility" and "rigidity" of production. Rigid production refers to the mass production of a single or a small number of products. This production model is particularly suitable for automation. For example, the production of standard industrial parts such as fasteners is achieved through automated specialized machines. Flexible production, on the other hand, refers to the production of multiple varieties in small batches, or even single-piece customization. This production model requires a high degree of intelligence in the automation system (in a sense, it is close to or equivalent to intelligent manufacturing ). Typical industries include mixed-line production in the automotive industry and the machining of non-standard parts.
Figure 2 divides the current directions of transformation and upgrading of China's manufacturing industry:
The X-axis represents the complexity of the product type; the Y-axis represents the flexibility required for the production process.
Figure 2. Four types of production modes and typical industries
Quadrant I, Flexible Manual Production
This quadrant is characterized by complex product types and high dexterity. Typical industries include the assembly of complex electromechanical products such as aircraft and spacecraft, custom-made clothing and leather goods, assembly of home appliances and digital products, as well as product repair or rework as discussed earlier.
This type of production requires a high degree of dexterity, making it impossible to replace manual labor with automation, or the investment in developing automated equipment to replace manual labor would be too high. For example, current robot or motion control technologies are still far from achieving the complexity and dexterity of human hands, so jobs such as leather making and sewing cannot be replaced by machines for a considerable period of time.
The production model suitable for this type of manufacturing enterprise is called manual flexible production, meaning that production management and organization are complex and cannot be automated. In fact, these enterprises are very well-suited to upgrading to "information technology" or "intelligent technology" software, which involves managing production and guiding worker operations through expert decision-making systems or related software products. The role of information technology or intelligent software is to guide production and avoid human error.
Practical Solution 1: Automated Batching System
For example, many steps in the assembly process of Porsche engines cannot be automated, and the characteristics of the product—multiple varieties and small batches—make it difficult to avoid worker errors during assembly. To reconcile this contradiction, the production system adopts a centralized material preparation scheme. Small parts from the engine move to various assembly stations on pallets, and assemblers can directly pick up the matching parts from the pallets and perform assembly and self-inspection according to the instructions of the electronic operating terminal.
In addition, BMW is another car company with a similar mature system, but its ingredients still require workers to pick them up from designated warehouse pallets according to the instructions of the material cart, and it has not achieved automation.
In fact, the most mature software applications are in the apparel industry. Many domestic enterprises, including Red Collar, and ready-to-wear clothing groups have adopted automatic material feeding and distribution systems. All the fabrics and accessories needed for a garment are delivered to a specific workstation or production unit through this system, and the workers only need to sew according to the design requirements.
Practical Solution 2: Operating the Auxiliary Terminal
(Electronic work instructions + production data acquisition system)
It is worth noting in Video 1 that each workstation has an operation auxiliary terminal. During the assembly process, the workers strictly follow each step of the electronic work instructions. At the same time, the auxiliary terminal also records the corresponding production assembly data and sends it to the host computer.
The two solutions above can be seen as prototypes of intelligent manufacturing . The automated batching solution enables flexible and customized production, while the operation assistance terminal enables data interaction between humans and the production system. As for automated scheduling, dynamic dispatching, expert decision-making, and other systems, they can all be implemented based on these two technical solutions.
Quadrant II, Manual Rigid Production
The manufacturing characteristics of this quadrant are: a single product type and high dexterity.
Typical industries include traditional clothing and footwear manufacturing. These industries produce large quantities of goods, but the production process is largely manual. These industries, which rely on high volume and low profit margins, have little room for improvement in automation or intelligentization unless they focus on product design and manufacturing processes. Of course, automated assembly technology is constantly improving, which also requires the refinement of modular design concepts.
It is worth noting that some industries, which were previously difficult or extremely costly to automate, are seeing new automated production methods emerge with advancements in automation technology. This presents a significant opportunity for the transformation and upgrading of Chinese manufacturing. The technological strategy is essentially a shift from Quadrant II to Quadrant III. For example, many Chinese manufacturing companies are engaged in sheet metal welding. Due to the arduous and unpleasant working conditions, European and American countries have outsourced much of the low-value-added, manual welding work to Chinese companies, retaining only high-value-added processes such as resistance welding, gas shielded welding, and plasma welding, which are easily automated. Given this market demand, European and American equipment manufacturers lack the development of automated welding equipment for low-cost sheet metal parts. This undoubtedly presents a huge business opportunity for Chinese domestic equipment manufacturers. Automated special-purpose machines targeting specific markets in China's manufacturing industry also represent an excellent opportunity for Chinese manufacturing to achieve a leapfrog development.
Quadrant III, Rigid Automated Production
This quadrant is characterized by a limited variety of products and low dexterity.
Typical industries include the production of standard industrial parts such as fasteners, bearings, gears, hardware, connectors, and microelectronics, as well as relatively simple daily necessities such as food and beverage, textiles, printing, and pen manufacturing.
These types of products are typically produced using specialized machines and automated equipment, and the technology is very mature. Many low-end manufacturing enterprises in China fall into this category and can achieve mass production through automated specialized machines.
Moreover, once such an industry develops specialized equipment for fully automated, efficient mass production, it is highly likely to achieve a monopoly on the industry, setting investment barriers for other competitors.
The "ballpoint pen refill dilemma" in China is essentially based on this principle: a few major pen manufacturing groups have monopolized the pen refill manufacturing equipment, which has reduced the production cost of pen refills to the lowest level. As a result, it is difficult for market followers like China to obtain the same automated systems. Developing similar equipment on their own would not be cost-effective in terms of investment, so it is better to give up on this industry or find another way to develop alternative products and technologies.
Many small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in China are engaged in the mass production of single products, such as USB cables, mice, cameras, zippers, and lighters. It is believed that fully automated production lines for these general-purpose products will emerge within the next five years, and world-class industry giants will certainly appear in China.
The development of "Made in China" occurred during a specific historical period, thus possessing distinct characteristics. This is specifically manifested in the transformation of manufacturing industries in Quadrants II and III. Because Chinese manufacturing enterprises in Quadrant II typically have a very large scale and market share, they can be transferred to Quadrant III through improvements in design and processes. Within Quadrant III, full automation is achieved through the development of specialized machines, coupled with intelligent management software, enabling flexible automation and propelling the industry towards Quadrant IV, ultimately securing a position at the top of the international manufacturing landscape.
Quadrant IV, Automated Flexible Production
This quadrant is characterized by a complex variety of products and low dexterity.
The most typical industry is the automotive industry, where most mainstream models currently use mixed-line production, i.e., automated flexible lines. This type of production system demands extremely high levels of automation in equipment and intelligence in software, making it one of the most complex production systems available. Similar to the automotive industry is the electronics industry, such as circuit board production. In fact, woodworking is the industry most likely to achieve automated flexible production. This is because woodworking processes are simple, parts have a high degree of standardization, and product diversity is a significant requirement. To put it more simply, the woodworking industry is most similar to Lego bricks.
The system shown in Video 2 features a CAD software library that provides numerous standard parts for log cabin design and can automatically generate a project BOM (Bill of Materials). The CAM software has a material cutting calculation function, which can optimize the blank cutting dimensions on standard-sized timber and automatically generate NC codes for each part. Meanwhile, the ERP system sends the required timber dimensions and quantities to suppliers for procurement. After the timber arrives at the workshop, the production system can determine the blank cutting based on the timber code and dimensions, and then machine the blanks. The machined parts are labeled, packaged together with hardware, and sent to the construction site. The construction team can then assemble these timber parts into a log cabin according to the drawings.
This case demonstrates that because the wooden components of a log cabin are mostly straight, they can be largely completed through cutting and drilling, simplifying the process. All steps can be performed on a CNC machine, making automation easy. Furthermore, the splicing of wooden beams is relatively simple, with fewer types of parts and a high degree of standardization, facilitating the simplification of the PLM system. A similar approach applies to staircase fabrication systems.
It is important to note that achieving flexible automation is not simply a matter of upgrading equipment to automation. It requires comprehensive coordination from design to process, equipment, and software.
The following case study illustrates the FESTO flexible manufacturing system. This system enables real-time response to single product orders, meaning that FESTO can produce even a single cylinder order. To achieve this strategic requirement, the first step was to simplify the profile blanks, using standard cross-section blanks as much as possible to avoid frequent fixture changes.
Figure 3 FESTO cylinder profile blank
The replacement of aluminum profile blanks can be automated, but fixtures with fixed cross-sections can only be changed manually. This is because manual fixture replacement is much faster than robotic replacement, and robotic replacement is also more expensive. Therefore, the system ultimately adopted a manual replacement solution. In addition to reducing the frequency of fixture replacement by using standardized profiles, the fixture design also incorporates a zero-point chuck for precise positioning and quick replacement.
Figure 4. Cylinder aluminum profile fixing clamp
The position of the fixture can be controlled by the program. By changing the cutting tools and performing 5-DOF machining, the system can easily cut cylinder blanks of different lengths according to order requirements and perform high-precision five-axis machining on them.
Figure 5. A five-axis machining head with flexible operating space.
A small-scale APS system was developed on the software side, which can read and optimize orders from the on-site ERP system. Orders for parts with similar cross-sections are aggregated, achieving multi-objective optimization. This production system achieves seamless connection from the ERP system to the production equipment through the APS. The APS only transmits the program numbers to the NC system; reliability control of the production process is still handled by the equipment PLC, adhering to the principle of hierarchical management and layered implementation.
"Intelligence" is reflected in the real-time production scheduling and on-site operation of the APS system; "flexible automation" is reflected in automated fixtures and five-axis linkage machining centers, as well as solutions for quick tooling changes.
Figure 6 shows a small-scale APS and process monitoring system that can connect to equipment and information systems.
Four fundamental principles for the transformation and upgrading of manufacturing enterprises
In general, with the increasing automation and informatization, managing the production process has become increasingly easier for employees. Historically, manufacturing upgrades and the liberation of manpower have been a continuous process.
The emergence of machines (mechanical equipment) has liberated workers from heavy manual labor, such as blacksmiths and miners; the advent of automation technology has solved the problem of tedious manual labor, such as assembly line workers and porters; information management systems have liberated workers engaged in tedious mental work, such as accountants and warehouse managers; digital software has freed product designers and process engineers from drawing on drawing boards and making repeated modifications, while providing on-site managers with more intuitive graphical scheduling and decision support; the next step of intelligent upgrading may liberate the mental labor of decision-makers.
It is evident that human manufacturing systems are constantly being updated and upgraded, with each upgrade freeing up physical and mental labor, allowing human creativity to be maximized. In the future, manufacturing workers will only perform creative tasks, while routine physical and mental labor will be entirely handled by intelligent manufacturing systems.
Figure 7 Manufacturing Upgrade Process
Figure 7 reveals the general patterns of transformation and upgrading for manufacturing enterprises:
Product design and manufacturing processes are the foundation of manufacturing and always have room for upgrades;
Since products are the ultimate carriers of value creation in manufacturing, and manufacturing products are always physical objects, the question of what products should look like (product design) and how to manufacture physical products (production process) are eternal topics in manufacturing.
Investing effort in product design and manufacturing processes at any stage is almost always the right strategic choice.
It is worth noting for Chinese manufacturing companies that design and manufacturing processes are inseparable. The current state of production equipment and processes may constrain design, while the quality of the design directly affects the selection of processes/routes, impacting product functionality, quality, reliability, and production costs. Therefore, investing resources in the front end of production (design and processes) will yield greater benefits than investing in the middle end (equipment and automation) and the back end (management information systems).
Four fundamental principles for intelligent manufacturing transformation and upgrading
First, equipment upgrades and automation upgrades can only be discussed when the design and process are clearly defined.
☆ Equipment upgrades and automation upgrades both involve machines replacing tedious and repetitive manual labor; the design and development of specialized machines is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and they only become standard machines after they have been stabilized and finalized.
☆Equipment upgrades are based on the automated integration of product processes;
☆Automation upgrades are based on the automated integration of production processes and workshop logistics;
Secondly, only automation based on management processes can facilitate information technology upgrades, thereby replacing tedious and repetitive mental labor;
Third, we can only talk about digitization when products and production data have the foundation for digital expression;
Fourth, only decision-making systems based on complex production conditions need to be intelligent.
Even sunset industries are going crazy.
Even industries like woodworking machinery and textile machinery, often considered outdated and sunset industries by many government officials and entrepreneurs, are rapidly transforming and upgrading. Countries with the most developed manufacturing sectors, such as Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, are using technological upgrades to transform the woodworking industry into a technology-intensive sector that closely aligns with the ideals of "smart manufacturing" and "Industry 4.0." This approach is worth learning for Chinese companies: continuously using new technologies to transform old industries and existing production capacity, rather than resorting to a one-size-fits-all approach of complete overhaul.
In fact, industries that adopt flexible automated production models are more suitable for upgrading to "smart manufacturing".
In my view, the defining characteristic of intelligent manufacturing is decision-making in complex production situations. The effectiveness of the decision-making algorithm and its adaptability to complex constraints determine the level of intelligence.
Although many automated control products possess certain intelligent algorithms—for example, some machining centers can optimize feed rate and spindle speed in real time based on parameters such as cutting force and vibration frequency during cutting; or compensate for tool path based on bed thermal deformation—these technologies are ultimately feedforward control of the process, only with more complex control algorithms. This approach actually falls under the category of "process automation," and can also be called "intelligent equipment."
Intelligentization should emphasize the judgment and decision-making on unknown events, while automation emphasizes the execution of predetermined actions and known events.
A flexible manufacturing system can automatically identify and inspect parts, automatically select tooling based on the identification code, automatically clamp the parts, and automatically call different programs to complete all the processing. Since all these activities are predetermined and do not make decisions based on constraints and objectives, it can only be considered a relatively advanced automated system, not an intelligent one.
The case below achieves fully flexible production based on orders, but because dynamic scheduling is not possible, even though the degree of automation is already very high, it cannot be called true intelligent manufacturing in my opinion.
It is clear that intelligence and automation are two independent concepts, differing only in the historical periods in which they emerged. However, there is no necessary order of precedence in project implementation.
End
The transformation and upgrading of manufacturing enterprises is a systemic project, and it cannot be solved by simply relying on a few projects, software programs, or automated production lines. To put it bluntly, it is a strategic consideration, or a complete overhaul and rebirth of the traditional factory strategy. It requires a holistic approach, starting with market positioning, product design, process planning, and supply chain planning. The greater the research effort invested in the initial decision-making process, the easier the implementation will be, and the higher the likelihood of a successful transformation and upgrading.
