This proposal was completed in March, 2015 as an interim report “Industrial Value Chain Initiative, manufacturing by “Connected factories” by Research Committee of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers Manufacturing Systems Division and is re-posted here.
- Introduction
The environment surrounding manufacturing is changing rapidly. Industry 4.01) led by the German government was one of the triggers, and various activities beyond the boundaries of the company began on a global scale, aiming for a new era through the integration of manufacturing and ICT. By the call of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers Manufacturing Systems Division in June, 2014 in Japan, a proposal was published by the volunteers of the industry, academia and government2), and there is a momentum to go back to the basics of manufacturing and review manufacturing in Japan, as of manufacturing powerhouse, and also direction of the advance..
This paper is written as an interim summary of the activities of the “Research Subcommittee”of the Japan Society Mechanical Engineers , which is ” Innovation Research Subcommittee of production technology and production management in the” lead factory “that take advantage of the Internet ( P-SCD386 ) “. The results of the discussions so far have been compiled into a commentary that can be understood by as many stakeholders as possible. in response to the recommendations. The Research Subcommittee still leave some time period until the end of February, 2016 and, due to the much faster world of flow, by advancing significantly the schedule, to be going to the proposal of specific action became.
The “Connected Factories” Research Subcommittee is responsible for developing mid- and long-term visions in the manufacturing industry that represents Japan, the strategic staff of companies that seek new developments in the information service industry and ICT, production engineering, and information Academia who is active in various fields such as engineering and business administration, and officers who are involved in policy planning at each ministry and agency are members of the government, and they are working beyond the boundaries of industry, academia and government. I hope that this precious place will not end with a simple exchange of opinions or a survey of the current situation, but as a place to combine vectors for action toward the future.
It is often said that Japanese are not good at proposing big concepts ahead of others. If there is no precedent, it is a fact that it is difficult to move forward, and it is true that the culture that is struck is still deep-rooted. However, even if so, it may be limited to a small number of volunteer groups, so I think it would be good to show leadership in other areas and take the initiative in the new manufacturing world.
If so, what should we do? How should Japanese manufacturing industry change? In response to this question, the paper sums up one direction that we searched for based on the activities of the research subcommittee, using the keyword “Connected factories”as a clue. In the second half of the research subcommittee, the contents described here will probably be embodied, and the emphasis will be on implementing them in society as real projects. The flow will ultimately be passed on to a new organization born from the research subcommittee ideally.
The readers of this paper are not only production system specialists, but also factory managers, related business managers, small business owners, and managers and engineers in industries other than manufacturing (for example, ICT companies), manufacturing industry consultants, university researchers, policy makers, etc. If possible, I would like people who have never been interested in manufacturing to read it and feel that the world of manufacturing is more familiar. It may be good if the creation of various “cool” worlds derived from manufacturing through the fusion of manufacturing and ICT, and if those people can imagine this, this essay is worthy.
1) Industrie 4.0 Working Group, Recommendations for implementing the strategic initiative INDUSTRIE 4.0 (2013) http://www.plattform-i40.de/
2) Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, Production System Division, Proposal for Manufacturing Process Innovation to Realize Japanese “Connected Factory”, (2014)
