DETROIT – Smart manufacturing and the rise of Industry 4.0 technology, which involves the integration of digital tech, automation, and data exchange, have been strongly adopted by General Motors.
Former Manager of Advanced Technology and Smart Manufacturing at GM, Andy Buckland, in an interview with MITechNews.Com, emphasized the company’s efforts to incorporate these advancements, from using digital twins for simulation to predictive maintenance for machinery.
The broader concept of Industry 4.0 envisions a transformative shift in how industries function, harnessing innovations like AI, IoT, and advanced manufacturing. GM utilizes a range of these technologies, from predictive maintenance and IoT to advanced robotics and digital twin simulations, to optimize their production processes, quality control, and energy efficiency.
“We’re working to grow and expand the core technologies around data we gather and by the tools we give our plants so they can run better. It’s the aggregate impact of all those little changes that will impact our operations.”
The latest research reports predict the market for Industry 4.0 technology will grow from about $79 billion in 2022 to $265 Billion by 2028, a compound annual growth rate of more than 22 percent.
MITechNews reached out to Ford Motor Company, Toyota Motor Company and Stellantis N.V. to contribute to this story, but all three declined to participate.
The concept of Industry 4.0 emerged from the understanding that technological advancements, such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, cloud computing, robotics, and advanced manufacturing techniques, have the potential to revolutionize industrial processes and drive significant improvements in productivity, flexibility, and sustainability.
Here are some ways GM employs Industry 4.0 technologies:
- Predictive Maintenance: GM uses sensors and data analytics to monitor the condition of manufacturing equipment and vehicles. This allows them to predict when maintenance is needed, reducing downtime and improving efficiency.
- IoT and Connectivity: GM integrates the Internet of Things (IoT) into its production processes. Connected devices and sensors collect data in real-time, providing insights into the production line’s performance and enabling quick adjustments as needed.
- Data Analytics: GM collects and analyzes vast amounts of data from its manufacturing processes. This data helps in identifying areas for optimization and improvement. Analytics also contribute to quality control by identifying defects or deviations in real-time.
- Automation and Robotics: GM uses advanced robotics and automation to streamline manufacturing. These technologies can handle repetitive tasks with high precision, increasing efficiency and reducing the risk of errors.
- Digital Twin Technology: GM employs digital twin technology to create virtual replicas of physical assets, such as vehicles or production lines. These digital twins can be used for simulation, testing, and modeling, helping in design and production optimization.
- Supply Chain Optimization: Industry 4.0 enables GM to have greater visibility and control over its supply chain. This includes monitoring the movement of parts and materials in real-time, allowing for more efficient inventory management and reducing supply chain disruptions.
- Collaborative Robots (Cobots): GM incorporates collaborative robots that can work alongside human workers. These cobots improve productivity and safety in manufacturing environments.
- Quality Control: Advanced sensors and cameras are used for quality control in real-time. Defective parts or vehicles can be quickly identified and rectified.
- 3D Printing: GM utilizes 3D printing technology in the development and manufacturing of certain vehicle components, which allows for rapid prototyping and customization.
- Energy Efficiency: Industry 4.0 technologies help GM optimize energy usage in its manufacturing facilities, reducing costs and environmental impact.
- Employee Training and Augmentation: GM invests in training its workforce to use and maintain advanced technology. Augmented reality and wearable devices are used to assist workers in complex tasks.
Buckland said I4.0 enables GM to work more seamlessly with suppliers to help them provide GM better and more cost effective solutions.
“Our industry will need to take advantage of these tools to remain competitive,” Buckland said. “We won’t dictate it’s use to suppliers, but we share the information with our suppliers to create more efficiencies.”
One of the keys to implementing Industry 4.0 is called the connected worker. Solutions where real-time information and collaboration are essential to improving efficiency, safety, and decision-making in dynamic environments. Two versions of connected workers are knowledge management and capturing innovation as it happens.
Buckland said GM uses knowledge management videos to teach employees and suppliers the ropes. He also said GM has some systems in place to capture innovation from plants and share it across the enterprise. Those include videos shot by employees using smart phones and tablet computers.
Capturing innovation as it happens is what GM President Mark Reuss told David E. Cole he wants. Cole is a former University of Michigan engineering professor and the founder of the Center for Automotive Research. He also is the son of former GM President Ed Cole.
“Mark told me he wanted to capture the innovation of his young engineers who are very tech savvy, even though they may not have a lot of real-world auto manufacturing experience.”
In essence what Reuss suggested is a 21st century version of a factory suggestions box. In this case it would use videos shot by employees with smart phone and tablets, curated by Artificial Intelligence, and stored in a secure cloud database accessible to those on a need-to-know basis anywhere in GM’s operations around the world by just a couple clicks of the computer mouse. When engineers and manufacturing managers run into issues they haven’t seen before, they can search the database in hopes it will provide them with answers quickly to keep the plants humming. They also can query the database to ask if other manufacturers outside the company have encountered similar problems and how they solved them. GM does a version of innovation capture today.
“We take advantage of mobile phones and tablets to gather information already,” Buckland said, “but not yet in a centralized way. We have some knowledge management solutions – collection and distribution in place now – but we are looking for more ways to capture that information in the future.”
Since GM’s focus now is on developing electric-powered vehicles (GM has pledged to sell an all-electric fleet by 2035), technological innovation will be vital to that goal. Unlike Internal Combustion Engines that have been used for more than a century to power cars and trucks, converting to electric-powered vehicles is a series of trails and errors.
Battery technology in particular is the focus. The holy grail sought by all the world’s automakers are EVs that not only equal ICE-engine range capabilities, but exceed them by a wide margin. Those that achieve the longest ranges the fastest will gain the lion’s share of future EV business.
“With connected workers we’re trying to improve their work experience and provide technology at their fingertips to make their jobs easier or better and more flexible,” Buckland said. “We also trying to reduce the time to train people and make it easier for them to do their jobs.
Buckland said jobs in future will be different. Expectations for production or skilled trades as well as maintenance means these employees need technology that will allow them to be more flexible and maybe cover a different span or scope of work then they have in the past.
“It’s not always directly measurable, but making it more desirable for our work force is important,” he said. “If we have a true shortage of people we will have resources in place to make do with what we do have.”
After the United Auto Workers new contract negotiations that could add $1000 to the cost of new vehicles, embracing I4.0 technologies up and down the supply chain could reduce costs so the new wages and benefit packages don’t price GM out of the EV market.
This is the second of a series of stories that will highlight what manufacturers in Michigan are doing to answer the challenges and opportunities of Industry 4.0. The first story surveyed the I4.0 landscape.
A third story will explain how automotive Tier 1s Hitachi ASTEMO and Yazaki have embraced I4.0 technologies.
A fourth story will look at MMTC that evaluates the technology for manufacturers, the SMEs.
A fifth reviews the educational institutions working to share the I4.0 message with the thousands of smaller manufactures that make up the bulk of Michigan manufacturing.
Mike Brennan is the Editor & Publisher of MITechNews.Com. He worked in an auto manufacturing plant while in college. He spent 20 years covering manufacturing and business for newspapers around the country. He covered Boeing manufacturing in Seattle and manufacturing at the former Chrysler in Detroit. He also covered technology manufacturing in Silicon Valley in California. Now he uses that accumulated manufacturing know-how in the stories that appear at www.mitechnews.com.
