The Factory of the Future

What will the factory of the future look like? One amusing anecdote goes like this: “The factory of the future will be run by a security guard and the dog to bite the security if he touches anything.”

This vision of a lights-out factory first emerged in the 1960s, with the invention of the industrial robotic arm. But machines never quite took over. The reality is that humans are still very much involved in the monitoring and control of manufacturing operations, but our role has changed over the past decades.

The Internet is still used too rarely in the manufacturing processes implemented by firms. And yet e-manufacturing, i.e. data sharing between various departments makes it possible to increase machine productivity, to reduce costs, and to be more reactive to fluctuating demand.

The scientists have already experienced in e-maintenance or remote control, which is already very widespread in the sensitive world of printing, in which the printers purchased for several hundreds of thousand of euros are continuously monitored so that they can operate 24 hours a day. Instead of ‘computer-integrated manufacturing’ today the emphasis is on cooperation between sites via the Internet on virtual reality. Internet startups based only on a financial outlook are doing badly. But e-manufacturing, which is based on an industrial outlook, is doing well. This is a sustainable trend.

This involves the ‘integrated factory’ principle: the manufacturing tools are in contact with administrative management departments and also with other departments of the firm (sales, after-sales service). E-maintenance makes it possible to reduce industrial cost. It is proactive: it acts remotely both to establish a diagnosis and to make a prognosis, in order to keep failures under control.

Among other tools, interactive videos are used to diagnose failures, and videoconferencing is used to put the various players in contact with one another.

The computer is the icon here. Software is fast, modular, and fluid. The new factory is a universe of such features as finance, retail production and promotion connected with each other in invisible dynamic systems.

ΙΙΙ. Language.

Exercise. 7. Match words and word-combinations in column A with those in column B.

A	B
e-maintenance	міцність
failure	діючий
data sharing	зменшувати
to run	блоковий
assembly	керувати
proactive	помилка
to implement	комплекс
solidity	дистанційний
to reduce	дистанційна підтримка
modular	виконувати
remote	розподіл даних

Exercise. 8. Fill in the blanks using the right variant in brackets.

1. Humans are still very much involved in the… processes.

(technological, business, manufacturing)

2. E-manufacturing makes it possible…machine productivity.

(to reduce, to develop, to increase)

3. Today emphasis is on … between sites via the Internet

(connection, cooperation, communication)

4. Among other tools, interactive videos are used …failures.

(to produce, to advert, to diagnose)

5. The new factory is a universe of such features as ….

(production, commerce, promotion, controlling, retail, e-maintenance, monitoring, finance)

Exercise. 9. Put in the missing prepositions choosing from given below:

1. What will the factory … the future look like?

2. But our role has changed … the past decades.

3. Today the emphasis is … cooperation between sites via the Internet.

4. The printers purchased … several hundreds of thousand of euros are continuously monitored.

for of in

over on since

Exercise. 10. Match the following words and combinations with their definitions.

E-manufacturing	is fast, modular, and fluid.
The integrated factory principle	is a universe of such features as finance, retail, production and promotion.
The computer at a new factory	is data sharing between different departments.
The new factory	works when the manufacturing tools are in contact with the administrative management departments.
Software at the factory of the future	is the icon.

Exercise. 11. Ask all possible questions to the following sentences.

1. A new vision of a lights-out factory first emerged in the 1960-s.

2. Videoconferencing is used to put the various players in contact with one another.

3. The scientists have already experienced in e-maintenance

ΙV. Oral Practice.

Exercise. 12. Give the definitions to:

1. E-manufacturing.

2. E-maintenance.

3. The integrated factory principle.

Exercise. 13. Use these points as a plan to speak on the factory of the future:

1. The factory of the future.

2. The role of e-manufacturing

3. The importance of e-maintenance

4. New industrial methods.