Page 46 - Taiwan Hand Tools 2022-03 Edition

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FEATURE TOPIC

Source: ITRI, table created by CENS.

competitiveness in the overall environment, production Applications of Smart Manufacturing
applications by enhancing technical levels or lowering
production costs. Smart manufacturing is often used to predict demand,
raw material prices, production process optimization,
According to a survey conducted by the ITRI Industrial quality prediction, scheduling optimization, automated
Economics and Knowledge Center, the top surveyed optical inspection, inventory management, transportation
reasons behind Taiwanese companies’ difficulties in optimization, all with case studies and much effect.
implementing smart manufacturing are:
Future Market Trends
Integrating AI systems, 19.23%
Digitalizing machinery equipment, 17.50% 1. Expanding 5G Implementation
ICT talents, 14.22%
Tapping into markets beyond China, 13.51% The three inherent characteristics of 5G technology
A diverse product line of industrial-grade robots, 11.80% (URLLC, mMTC, and eMBB) are highly touted as they offer
Client participation in the production process, 11.4% safer and faster, reliable network speeds and accelerate the
Legal compliance of machinery specifications, 6.81% digital transition of traditional factories into intelligent ones.
Standardization of Industry IoT specifications, 5.52% This level of technology incorporation will require cross-
discipline work from telecommunication suppliers, system
The top three issues perplexing companies are integrators, and network suppliers to develop peripherals
integrating AI systems, digitalizing machinery equipment, in the supply chain and ecosystem. Future applications of
and acquiring ICT talent. In other words, Taiwan’s smart 5G and AI interactive situations will occur within a second,
manufacturing industry profoundly lacks employees connecting over a million edge devices within a square
with technological skillsets for understanding integrating kilometer of space and creating the best-optimized decision.
manufacturing process know-how with AI, CAD/CAM data
integration allowing for data sensory extraction and data 2. Implementing Explainable AI
visualization. The sector needs to cultivate talents with ICT
backgrounds in internet connections, algorithms, embedded When implementing AI, connecting the human and
systems, and cloud computing to fix this talent gap. machine aspects is often discussed in the context that AI
results must persuade humans in an explainable way. The
AI’s optimization of manufacturing processes and essential
features can often go against the engineers’ long-standing
perception, especially relying on industry know-how for
years. Therefore, with manufacturing costs on the expensive

Taiwan Hand Tools 2022 Issue