Extrusion International USA 3-2020

45 Extrusion International 3/2020 required, while solving manufactur- ing issues. Several Taiwan machine tools brands are already seeing some good potential in furthering this manufacturing trend even after the virus situation calms. Aside from the RCM, other non- contact technologies such as aug- mented reality (AR) could also be used. During troubleshooting, us- ing visualized communication with customers could allow similar results without the need to send a techni- cian to clients’ location, and predic- tive maintenance can be easily con- ducted that can essentially prevent and congregation of large groups gathered at the mask production site have created another concern for these 80 machine tool manufactur- ers. Wearing masks, checking tem- perature, and sanitizing hands are now mandatory rules at every facto- ry’s entrance. In order to ensure ev- ery employee is free from COVID-19, many factories are conducting full sanitization every couple day, as well as taking other precaution measures. In addition, the machine tool manu- facturers are evolving toward more flexibility at their work by adopting remote monitoring. After the virus, the global manu- facturing chain is rethinking decen- tralization and one country supply chains, and adopting digitalized manufacturing with remote control- ling. This can change the current manufacturing method in order to prevent any more manufacturing downtime. The IIoT technology adopted on the production platform allows the fac- tory to receive live feed on manufac- turing processes and machine status, and the control manager can con- duct remote control management (RCM) to assign work programs, ei- ther at the control room or simply using their mobile devices. This helps reduce the number of onsite workers machine downtime and lower costs for customers. By realizing smart manufacturing, humans are not removed from the production element, but instead they are provided with smart tools and more user-friendly interfaces to fur- ther strengthen manufacturing ef- ficiency. Undermined by COVID-19, smart manufacturing might have al- ready provided another path for fu- ture business. Worldwide Services Co., Ltd. 11F-B, No. 540, Section 1, Wen Hsin Road, Taichung, 40848, TAIWAN www.acw.com.tw