Efficient Production Requires Such a Lean Production Line! (II)

The relationship between lean, automation and informatization

Simply put, when you go to a company to make improvements, the first thing that comes to mind is not automation and informatization, but improvement of processes and methods, that is, lean manufacturing. When processes and methods are being improved, the need for automation and informatization will arise, so there will be a process of first lean manufacturing, then automation, and finally informatization.

Lean: Use process methods to do things efficiently.

Automation: using machines to replace people to do things efficiently.

Informatization: Use computer assistance to do things efficiently.

Lean + Automation + Informatization = Intelligent Manufacturing

There are three systems that must exist in a factory: production system, logistics system, and information system.

If automation is the production system, then lean manufacturing is the logistics system. Even if no one is working, there must be a logistics process. All equipment planning requires lean layout and matching, which is the so-called lean management.

Lean is similar to the process of streamlining and optimizing business processes within an information technology project. Information technology solidifies these optimized processes. Information technology can collect and analyze fundamental data for Lean and solidify operational standards. Automation offloads simple, repetitive tasks to equipment, eliminating the need for human intervention.

The production department takes the lead and does lean first. After lean is completed, if it needs to be solidified, ask the information department to develop the system, or purchase the system from outside.

The IT department takes the lead, first identifying the IT system vendor and then having them help streamline and optimize the processes. However, this vendor needs to have a management consulting team or experience implementing solutions in the same industry. Otherwise, the streamlined processes can be superficial and not necessarily practical.

The equipment department typically prioritizes automation to improve equipment efficiency and reduce failure rates. However, this approach tends to isolate issues, leading to pointless efficiency improvements in non-bottleneck processes.

Overall, it is best to set up a project team, combine the company's strategy and regulations, concentrate the opinions of various departments, and implement them in a directional and purposeful manner.

The concepts of lean, automation, and informatization

Lean: Lean Production , referred to as " Lean " , is a management philosophy derived from the Toyota Production System.

Lean production is a production management method that enables the production system to quickly adapt to the ever-changing needs of users through changes in system structure, personnel organization, operating methods, and market supply and demand. It can also streamline all useless and redundant elements in the production process, ultimately achieving the best results in all aspects of production, including market supply and marketing.

Automation: is a means of analyzing, organizing and controlling production processes. In other words, automation is the result of applying automatic control to production processes. With the advancement of science and technology, automation technology is constantly enriching and deepening.

Automation is the process by which a machine or device automatically operates or controls itself according to prescribed procedures or instructions without human intervention.

Informatization: The historical process of cultivating and developing new productive forces represented by computer-based intelligent tools and making them benefit society.

The so-called informatization refers to the process of social and economic development, from the economic structure centered on material and energy to the economic structure centered on information.

The connection between automation and informatization

" Automation " and " informatization " are both prevalent in society, industry, agriculture, biology, national defense and military, scientific experiments, daily life and human intelligence.

The connection between " automation " and " informatization " is: the research work is carried out in the same era, the theoretical basis of the research work is similar, the basic tools of the research work are the same, and the fields of research problems are integrated.

The difference between automation and informatization lies in their distinct research objectives. Automation focuses on how information is used to control and optimize objects, while informatization studies the inherent properties of information , such as its measurement and quantification , its encoding , transmission efficiency , and error correction. The scientific and technological communities studying automation and informatization have different starting points and perspectives. One focuses on the normal, automated operation of unmanned equipment or devices according to instructions or programs , the other addresses the security issues inherent in the acquisition, transmission, processing, and retrieval of information , as well as the operational processes involved.

The two rely on and promote each other. " Automation " and " informatization " rely on and promote each other.

Automation not only includes the principles and methods of using information to achieve goals, but also includes the technologies and equipment that serve as its carriers, and ultimately integrates them into the automation system, involving all levels from theory, methods, technology to equipment.

Information technology consists of four parts: information acquisition, information transmission, information processing, and information utilization. Basic automation systems encompass at least these three components, while automation systems with computer networks or communication networks encompass all of these. However, it's important to note that while control-based automation encompasses the entirety of information technology, its focus is on information utilization—that is, how to use information to achieve purposeful actions. Information acquisition, transmission, and processing are the means and tools to achieve this goal.

Therefore, automation is inseparable from computers, communications, and information processing. However, compared to these information technologies, it more directly reflects humanity's goal of transforming nature. In this sense, automation technology is clearly one of the most core components of information technology. Specifically, in enterprises, it can be said that " automation is the foundation of informatization . " This is because industrial control automation primarily encompasses three levels: basic automation, process automation, and management automation, with basic automation and process automation being the core components. 

Automation in industrial enterprises is generally divided into three levels: the field level (basic automation) includes field instruments and DCS , PLC , FCS , etc., the MES level (manufacturing execution system or process control) includes optimization control, advanced process control ( APC ), artificial intelligence, production scheduling, etc., the ERP level (resource management decision-making level) Etc. From the above, we can see that the automation of industrial enterprises is the foundation of their informatization. If industrial enterprises have not yet realized automated production, then there is no way to realize their informatization.

Automation not only expands the application scope of informatization, from industrial modernization to automation and intelligentization in various fields, such as military, finance, home, and society, but also requires the involvement of automation disciplines. Network integration, modeling and regulation, quality of service ( QoS) , and network and information security are all closely related to automatic control.

Modern information and communications technology is closely intertwined with automation. Advances in computer and network technology are revolutionizing fieldbus technology, the long-debated foundation for automation system communications. This will make flattening CIMS and CIPS systems a reality, making the human-machine interface more user-friendly and bringing the era of truly low-cost automation closer. Advances in optical technology (optical communications and lasers) have already brought about significant changes in information technology and automation, and will continue to advance in the new century.

It can be seen that the integration of the two will be the trend of future development!

Lean is the foundation of informatization and automation

What needs to be emphasized is that the development of Chinese manufacturing enterprises must not skip the basic link of building a lean system. However, after being exposed to informatization and intelligence, Chinese manufacturing enterprises often think that they can skip this link of the lean basic system.

Germany has been preparing for lean management for over 20 years. Due to high labor costs and an aging population, Germany has long been learning from Japanese companies' systems and methods for eliminating waste and improving efficiency. Going forward, Germany will need to increase investment in information technology and leverage this experience to move closer to intelligent manufacturing.

The United States introduced industrial engineering in the 1950s . Toyota, building on this foundation, developed the Toyota Production System, which has elevated production logistics management and quality to new heights. Germany's Industry 4.0 is a concept developed by German companies after 25 years of studying and applying Japanese lean production, combined with information technology and automation. Several leading German companies have stated that achieving Industry 4.0 will take another 15 years . This demonstrates that the systematic management foundation of industrialization is a hurdle that manufacturing companies cannot bypass.

Build a lean system towards informatization and automation to achieve intelligent manufacturing

Whether the workshop is intelligent, whether the equipment is automated, and whether the collaboration between departments is efficient are all pillars that support the company to be more efficient, collaborative, and lower costs. They are the specific ways and methods to ultimately achieve a low-cost, short-cycle rapid response strategy.

If a fully automated factory workshop does not respond quickly enough to product switching or the input-output ratio of equipment modification is not cost-effective, it will not be a competitive solution.

Replacing manual labor with automated equipment in monotonous and repetitive tasks is a better option. However, based on current technology and costs, fully automated solutions for complex and changing processes are too expensive and inefficient. Human-machine integration offers greater efficiency and lower costs.

Piloting smart factories ( workshops ) in Chinese manufacturing companies requires a foundation of coordinated and optimized supply chains. Optimizing management fundamentals is the first step. This includes ensuring rational organizational design, smooth processes, rational equipment and logistics relationships, and smooth transfers and handovers.

Management processes must be rational, internal informationization must be deepened, and inter-departmental collaboration is necessary. Departmental collaboration relies on ERP , while collaboration across all aspects of the workshop relies on MES .

Simple, repetitive, arduous and monotonous work processes are easier to automate, while processes that require complex judgments and very frequent switching of products have too high requirements for intelligence and the input-output ratio may not be reasonable. The implementation of intelligence should be carefully considered.