Newsletter Masthead
 
September 2010
 What is SMART Manufacturing?
 
SMART Manufacturing is "An integrated, knowledge-enabled, model- rich enterprise in which all operating actions are determined and executed proactively applying the best possible information and a wide range of performance metrics."
 
Smart Manufacturing extends from requirements, product and process design to execution, delivery and life-cycle support.
 
10 Attributes of Smart Process Manufacturing
 
1. Intelligent actions and responses
2. Operating assets are integrated and self-aware
3. Adapts to abnormal situations
4. Data when, where, and in the form needed
5. Proactive failure prevention
6. Rapid response for proactive control
7. Environmentally sustainable
8. People: knowledgeable, empowered and trained
9. Recognize the limits of automation
10. Drive strategic enterprise performance

Manufacturing IS about data…NOT about machines.  The data that is being continuously generated by smart machines and transmitters must be translated into actionable information.
  1. Enable assets to autonomously recognize and respond to situations
  2. Develop techniques and standards for integration across the supply chain
  3. Integrate enterprise and plant level planning
  4. Provide comprehensive knowledge capture and knowledge management solutions

     

Components of SMART Manufacturing:
  1. Distributed intelligent manufacturing
  • Decisions and actions made at lower level of plant granularity
  • Coordinated/aggregated smart units
  • Centralized hierarchical management to coordinated distributed management
  1. Explicit management of risk and uncertainty
  • Robustness to risk and changing situations
  • Greater flexibility and responsiveness to overall goals
  1. Distributed business and operating intelligence to units through integrated models
I have been in manufacturing for a number of years and have been involved with a major smart manufacturing project using autonomous agent software on a Department of Defense Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) project back in the 1990s; we built a platform where autonomous agents (software) represented each machine, tooling, fixture, operator, unit operation and part broker in the a job shop and would communicate and self-organize to determine the optimal factory schedule.  We were all excited when DeviceNet hit the market because these were smart sensors that were somewhat self aware and thought the "smart manufacturing" vision was only a few years off.  Fast forward 15 years and the vision has not made much progress.  I just hope it is not another 15 years before smart manufacturing is more of the norm than visionary.  Let me know what you think.
 
Thanks,
Ben Moore
Agent Technologies, Inc.
 
Continue to blog about this article at: http://xrpsystem.blogspot.com
 
References:
1) SPM EVO July 2009 (Smart Process Manufacturing Engineering Virtual Organization)
 http://www.oit.ucla.edu/NSF-EVO-2008/
2) “The Evolution of Smart Manufacturing” by Walt Boyes Editor in Chief Control and ControlGlobal.com
 

 

 

View Past Issues at: http://www.agenttech.com/archive.asp

 

 

The Consumer's Workshop: the future of American manufacturing
 
The Consumer's Workshop: The Future of American Manufacturing is a hand book on how to setup the systems within your company and create the workforce you need to be successful now and in the future.  Written by authors that have worked at some of America's largest manufacturers, founded their own manufacturing organizations and helped numerous small manufacturers grow.
 
The Consumer's Workshop: The Future of American Manufacturing is a must read for today's business leaders.  It is insightful and provocative in its approach to where US manufacturing has been, how manufacturing got into the troubles it faces today and what we need to do to become the standard for world class once again.  If we want to know how to regain that competitive edge once again, the roadmap is certainly the pages of The Consumer Workshop.

-- Bruce Vaillancourt,Director, NIST MEP Program, TechSolve, Inc.

Book The Consumer's Workshop is an extremely timely review of how manufacturing strategy developed in the past
and how it will change in the future. The author team clearly demonstrates that companies have to change -- and provide plenty of advise how such a change should take place."
-- Frank Piller, PhD, International Manufacturing Consultant

As the authors make clear, eventually American manufacturing will become the workshop for direct production of consumer's own designs -- or it will be no more. Begin that path by following the steps outlined here."
-- B. Joseph Pine II, author, Mass Customization: The New Frontier in Business Competition

Investment: $12.99

 

 

 

 

In This Issue

What is SMART Manufacturing?

xRP: Free 30 Day Trial

Manufacturing Statistics September 2010

 

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Factory Image
 
Manufacturing Statistics 
 
1) Industrial production increased 1.0 percent in July 2010 largely driven by a 10 percent increase in motor vehicle and part production.  Source: Federal Reserve Board

2) Total nonfarm payroll employment decreased by 54,000 in August.  The private sector added 67,000 jobs while manufacturing lost 27,000 jobs.  Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
 

3) Manufacturing Trade Deficit decreased to $42.8 billion in July on exports of $153.3 billion and imports of $196.1 billion.  Sources: Census Bureau, Bureau of Economic Analysis
 

4) New orders for manufactured durable goods in July increased $0.6 billion or 0.3 percent to $193.0 billion.  Source: Census Bureau
 

5) Inventories of manufactured durable goods in July increased $1.8 billion or 0.6 percent to $311.2 billion.  Source: Census Bureau 

 
   
 
 
 
 
Agent Technologies, Inc.
Phone:  513-942-9444
Fax:  513-942-9446
 
Founded in 1995, Agent Technologies, Inc. provides e-Commerce Solutions, Business Reporting Solutions, e-Business Strategy Development and Agent Based Systems. Try xRP - Our Online CRM/ERP Solution (xrpsystem.com).  FREE 30 Day Trial!
 
 
Agent Technologies, Inc. | 8216 Princeton-Glendale Road, Suite 191 | West Chester | OH | 45069