4 Ways Digitalization Will Transform Your Manufacturing Processes

A digital factory is a production facility with all the data and processes fully integrated in one model. Every contributor, regardless of discipline, can collaborate on this integrated model at each stage of the factory lifecycle.

Integrated factory modeling combines BIM and digital factory planning with a tool like Factory Design Utilities in the Autodesk Product Design & Manufacturing Collection to generate a digital representation of production facilities and equipment. Contributors from multiple disciplines can collaborate in the always-current central model to plan, design, certify, build, and operate factories.

---

Learn about iLogic and Inventor features and benefits in the Applied Software, Graitec Group “Ultimate Guide to Autodesk Inventor.”

---

Following are 4 ways digitalization will transform your manufacturing processes and projects:

1. Achieve better project timelines.  You can adjust to changing markets quickly. Your factory can be reconfigured as needed and return to production faster. Design automation can help streamline the workflow from engineering to manufacturing. In an Autodesk ebook on digitalizing factory processes, Technica International reported a 15-fold savings – if an engineering process formerly took 16 hours, after implementing design automation it only took one hour.
2. Improve project collaboration.  Workflows can be connected across disciplines to provide new levels of efficiency. You can expect and achieve more, including improved innovation and adaptability. Using a cloud-based data environment, you can collaborate on 3D models in real-time, manage communication and improve workflows. Design time can be reduced because changes are shown immediately. In addition, gathering structural, architectural, MEP, utilities, process, and packaging information into one environment lets you discover clashes early, before they cause rework.

3. Provide higher value services.  If your company designs and builds product and packaging systems for manufacturers, you can transform production line layouts for your customers. By using digital factory tools, your extended project management support, building design data, and operational services can elevate the value you provide to your customers.
4. Avoid waste and rework.  A factory floor model gives you the opportunity to see how equipment and systems will work together before they are actually installed. You can catch and address issues before they result in waste and rework. In addition, your staff does not have to duplicate efforts by creating an initial site layout in 2D then redrawing it in 3D. Reports from companies that have transitioned to digital factories are that fully integrating 2D and 3D can save half the project delivery time. Everything can revolve around a single set of data, rather than keeping information in spreadsheets that require manual manipulation when anything on the job changes.  

Integrated factory modeling combines BIM and digital factory planning to help you achieve better project timelines, improve project collaboration, provide higher value services, and avoid waste and rework. You can take your manufacturing business to the next level by fully integrating all your data and processes into one model – your digital factory.

---