Page 32 - Taiwan Machinery 2023-08 Edition

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INDUSTRY TRENDS

practices. Therefore, in order to maintain a strong presence Regarding the current status of industry
in the said markets, Taiwanese suppliers must prioritize intellectualization in Taiwan, Chen indicates that
efforts to improve their manufacturing processes to achieve it commenced with the implementation of smart
significant carbon reduction. manufacturing policies and associated assistance projects
in 2015. Among these initiatives, the most successful
In the current landscape, Yueh highlights that the program is the Smart Machine Box (SMB) Assistance Plan.
National Development Council of Taiwan has already SMB offers various functionalities such as estimating order
introduced “Taiwan’s Pathway to Net-Zero Emissions in completion time, tracking machine operation journeys,
2050.” This initiative serves as a vital reference for both the providing error notifications, etc., while having merits like
government and industry in promoting the adoption of net the ease of installation, user-friendly interface, and intuitive
zero emissions practices. Based on this, Yueh proposes operation. As of now, a total of 399 companies have already
three crucial missions for Taiwan’s machine tool industry. participated in the program, with 10,446 devices equipped
Firstly, he says, “Analysis of The Current Situation”, with SMB capabilities.
utilizing IoT or other measurement techniques to verify
the carbon footprint throughout production and identify In addition to the SMB, Chen further mentions that
areas with significant carbon emissions. Secondly, Yueh the Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT) under the
continues, “Set Goals.” As major enterprises are already Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) in Taiwan is actively
aligning with initiatives such as RE100 or CDP, supply promoting Intelligent Cloud technology. This technology
chain partners should proactively follow suit for potential aims to reduce system maintenance and development
future requirements from these leading companies. Lastly, costs for developers while providing end-users with easy
“Energy-saving Plan”, which means manufacturers should access to various applications and services, ultimately
scrutinize production processes to identify areas for leading to lower production costs.
improvement and energy conservation.
Chen also reveals that ITRI is currently implementing a
Intellectualization: Seamless Interoperability plan called “Industrial Metaverse.” This plan focuses on two
Another significant trend in the machine tool industry key aspects: “instant decision-making” and “digital twin.”
is the concept of “intellectualization,” which can be The former enables multiple individuals to interact and
categorized into four key aspects. Firstly, “single machine exchange opinions, facilitating efficient decision-making
intellectualization” allows for real-time monitoring of processes, and the latter leverages physical information, AI
machine status, enabling workers to ensure quality analysis, and big data to provide an early warning system,
control effectively. Moving beyond that, “product line optimization solutions, and decision-making suggestions.
intellectualization” involves the connection among
various types of mechanical equipment to enable
seamless interoperability. Taking it a step further, “factory Machinery Composition: One-Step Processing
intellectualization” leverages advanced technologies to Talking about the trend of “machinery composition,”
improve production methods, and attain great flexibility Chen explains that it involves the fusion of “additive
and variability. Ultimately, “supply chain intellectualization,” manufacturing” technologies such as 3D printing
wherein administrators gain the ability to control the entire and “subtractive manufacturing” techniques such as
supply chain through internet-based platforms.

Taiwan Machinery (September 2023)