Industry 4.0 Feature
That was all done automatically.” But there are two sides of a coin.
“The whole process of material distribution is lean, intelligent and unmanned based on the operation pulling process. Lean material distribution reduces costs, improves data accuracy and safety,” Clarke remarks. In 2022, Enpack went on to replace
its existing plant in Shantou, where it makes food can ends, with a smart factory. “The Shantou manufacturing facility has a parallel design of production lines much like the one in Yangzhou. Both have what I call Amazon-type of warehouses, where robots stack pallets.” This also reduces costs and allows better use of floor space. The intrinsic purpose of the
mainly from Suzhou SLAC Precision Equipment Co., Clarke notes, what stands out is the way engineers have integrated advanced technologies to develop the smart plant. “There’s the physical layout, which is smart, and there’s the automation, which is smart. The third layer of this is how engineers are using technology to allow this automation to take place,” he says. The factory has integrated
production and automated warehousing. “Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) is the ‘brain’ behind the connectivity, which is linked to the Enterprise Resource Management (ERP) system, which manages demand-to-supply process. There’s automated scanning at each production stage, which delivers real- time data collection,” Clarke explains. With the help of IoT technology, there are two bases that can connect over 300 devices to exchange data and manage equipment ledger, spare parts of all production lines, equipment maintenance plan and other applications. Unmanned lean dispatching is
another feature of this smart factory.
automation drive is operational efficiency. In the case of Enpack, it has led to increasing the available line capacity by 37% and improving uptime - critical in production - across both plants. The automatic material handling has cut down transit time by 80% and logistics labour by 34%, according to Clarke. This automation also resulted in the reduction of direct labour force by between 60% and 70%.
Creating a controlled and safe working environment
The benefits of smart manufacturing don’t stop here. Today, workplace safety culture in manufacturing is a top priority. The evolution of automation allows for robots and automated tools to handle repetitive tasks, move loads, and replace workers in harsher manufacturing environments. Commenting on his visit to China, Clarke says: “I was somewhat apprehensive at my own preconceptions of what the factories might look like. They are wonderful in terms of cleanliness, hygiene, productivity, and safety. What surprised me is that there were very few people there. Those who were there were making sure that things were working. I didn’t see any of them actually operating the machines.
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metalpackager.com
in the metal packaging industry for over 30 years, and in each of those years investment in cost reduction andefficiency programmes was a priority
I’ve been
People on factory lines and lower- skilled workers will be first in line to be impacted by the rise of AI. A study by analysis firm Oxford Economics revealed that “up to 20 million manufacturing jobs around the world could be replaced by robots by 2030”. Asked to give me his thoughts on this, Clarke says: “I’ve been in the metal packaging industry for over 30 years, and in each of those years investment in cost reduction and efficiency programmes was a priority. Continuous improvement in this context is not new, however AI has the potential to transform the way we work, communicate and interact with technology. It’s something to be embraced, not feared.”
The bigger picture
About 30% of Enpack’s sales are now made in overseas markets, with major export customers in Southeast Asia. In the words of Clarke, this was “undoubtedly added by the acquisitions”. Clarke’s appointment as CEO of the company’s European office this February underpins the company’s ambition to widen its customer base in Europe. Going back to 2019, which saw ‘once- in-a-generation’ growth in beverage cans, Clarke notes the company took “a giant leap in terms of investment and capability” to position itself for a significant growth and partner with some of the bigger can makers. An important component of the
company’s investment cycle was to improve product quality. “Enpack produces extremely good quality products at a competitive price. We believe we can partner in a cost- effective way, which supports can makers in reducing their capital investment budget by utilising the already invested capital at Enpack. This also keeps them at the front foot when it comes to dialogue with customers. We have resources, knowledge, and know-how. This is how we can add value to the whole supply chain.” Smart factories are still not the
norm today. While the full potential of Industry 4.0 remains to be seen, one thing is clear: it’s set to profoundly change the manufacturing industry. We’re already witnessing the rapid rise of generative AI and its applications will continue to shake up manufacturing as the technology becomes more sophisticated.
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