Smart manufacturing

TLDR

Manufacturing has become increasingly automated and complex, and smart manufacturing now integrates sensors, computing, IoT, cloud, AI, and data science to create cyber‑physical systems guided by six pillars—technology, materials, data, predictive engineering, sustainability, and resource sharing. The paper outlines the origin, current status, and future developments of smart manufacturing, including anticipated material‑handling integration and ten conjectures on digitisation, material‑product‑process, enterprise dichotomy, and standardisation. The authors outline how material handling and transportation will be integrated into manufacturing, driven by sustainability, shared services, and service quality. If implemented, these technologies would make smart manufacturing the hallmark of the next industrial revolution.

Abstract

Manufacturing has evolved and become more automated, computerised and complex. In this paper, the origin, current status and the future developments in manufacturing are disused. Smart manufacturing is an emerging form of production integrating manufacturing assets of today and tomorrow with sensors, computing platforms, communication technology, control, simulation, data intensive modelling and predictive engineering. It utilises the concepts of cyber-physical systems spearheaded by the internet of things, cloud computing, service-oriented computing, artificial intelligence and data science. Once implemented, these concepts and technologies would make smart manufacturing the hallmark of the next industrial revolution. The essence of smart manufacturing is captured in six pillars, manufacturing technology and processes, materials, data, predictive engineering, sustainability and resource sharing and networking. Material handling and supply chains have been an integral part of manufacturing. The anticipated developments in material handling and transportation and their integration with manufacturing driven by sustainability, shared services and service quality and are outlined. The future trends in smart manufacturing are captured in ten conjectures ranging from manufacturing digitisation and material-product-process phenomenon to enterprise dichotomy and standardisation.