How sensor solutions impact the automation and digitalization in production logistics for greater transparency and efficiency
The electronics industry is facing challenges in a variety of areas: rising costs, the need for increasing product variants and customization, shorter innovation cycles, and greater automation. A combination of these factors is forcing the production and intralogistics of the electronic industry to undergo a change.
Previously focused on solely individual processes and machines, the movement toward automation and digitalization is now emphasizing production logistics solutions for transparency and efficiency in the flow of materials and information. Progress toward automation and digitalization of manufacturing makes this possible and sensor solutions allow for new logistics concepts in the electronics industry.
In the value chain of the electronics industry, four different production lines are used: manual handling, robot tending, modular production line, and fully interlinked production line. The level of automation in these areas of production logistics varies depending on the type of manufacturing. As manufacturers begin to fully automate the production process of electronic assemblies and devices, they are choosing either fully linked manufacturing lines or modular manufacturing lines.
From the moment materials are delivered to the time they are shipped out with the finished product, sensor solutions from SICK make the entire process flow fully transparent. Using these tailored sensor solutions allows for a reduction in manual work, less work-in-progress, and the ability to respond more quickly to orders. Material management, transport, loading and unloading, storage and data management are five areas that are positively affected by the movement towards automation and digitalization.
Many tasks in logistics are done manually, but a digitalized production logistics creates transparency, minimizes the time spent on manual activities and ultimately mitigates the risk of human error. Check out our white paper on the digitalization of the electronics industry and the move toward production logistics.
