Managing Automation - November 2007 - (Page 22)

[ COVER STORY ] GM uses digital models, residing in a global component library, to standardize its manufacturing process, regardless of where in the world a part is built. Digital manufacturing, also referred to as “the digital factory,” has been loosely defined as the digitization of the design-to-manufacture processes. It is the ability to integrate CAD, product lifecycle management (PLM) tools, simulation software, analytical applications, and, in the very near future, control technologies. Together, these technologies create a virtual world in which a product can be built and validated prior to commissioning any of the equipment used to build it or producing physical prototypes. But the concept can be hard to grasp. Just think of it in terms of “Second Life” — the popular 3D virtual business world where companies like IBM and Reuters do business online — except that in the simulated digital factory, it’s all about pushing a digital prototype onto the virtual factory floor. Many organizations already have the technology they need to create a digital manufacturing environment, but they’ve yet to dis- cover the big-picture potential of integrating it all. “There are people out there that understand the isolated areas of process simulation for the flow of a chemical plant on the process side or to simulate the layout of the factor y on the discrete side, but they don’t understand how it all comes together in a tr uly integrated digital product model,” says Dick Slansky, an analyst with ARC Advisory Group. In fact, one of the biggest inhibitors of the digital manufacturing concept is a lack of awareness or understanding of what these advanced technology tools working together can do, Slansky says. In addition, fear and unease are often associated with the unexplored territor y of digital manufacturing. Other inhibitors that Slansky and others cite include cost, the inherent learning curve, the potential for cultural clashes between departments, a lack of standards, and even unreliable telecommunications infrastructures that limit the ability to share data globally. Collectively, these issues may delay the adoption of digital technology, but they won’t stop the inevitable digital revolution in manufacturing, supporters say. Case in point: GM. The company has encountered all of these issues in one form or Digital manufacturing “absolutely changed our world. Just like the Internet, it has changed the way we do business.” — Bob Klem, GM another over the past decade, but the benefits of digital manufacturing ultimately outweigh the risks. “It absolutely changed our world,” GM’s Klem says. “Just like the Internet, it has changed the way we do business.” GM, however, is a pioneer in digital manufacturing. Other companies are still struggling to get started. A revolution can be an overnight upris- ma November 22 2007 Photos courtesy: General Motors

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Managing Automation - November 2007

Managing Automation - November 2007 Contents Take 1 Mailbox SAP's Business ByDesign to Validate On-Demand Model for Enterprise SW Portfolio Management Specialist Losing Ground to Rivals At Incor, It's Time for Some Deep Breathing Can HART, ISA Get Together on a Wireless Spec? Mesa Tries to Help Improve Plant Metrics Notes Cover Story: The Digital Factory Special Report: Breaking Down Walls Integration: Dreaming of One ERP Industries: Locking onto Cyber-Security Transformation: Not Your Father's Time & Attendance Program Product Scan Advertiser Index Next

Managing Automation - November 2007

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