The machines, platforms, and other systems at The Smart Factory @ Wichita communicate seamlessly.
The grand opening of a futuristic factory took place in June on the campus of Wichita State University.
Called The Smart Factory @ Wichita, the 60,000-sq.-ft. The facility has been described as an “ecosystem of innovative collaborators with a shared goal: Demonstrating how a truly smart factory is a holistic effort, going beyond the shop floor, to improve efficiency, productivity, and sustainability throughout bigger business. “
It was conceived, planned, funded, and built in response to the impact of COVID-19 on the supply chain, labor shortages, and volatility in the global economy, according to two of the project sponsors, Deloitte Consulting LLP and Amazon Web Services (AWS).
“Smart Factory @ Wichita demonstrates the power and potential of combining some of the world’s greatest ideas and solutions into one comprehensive ecosystem to showcase practical manufacturing applications,” said Deloitte Consulting principal and head of Smart Factory, Stephen Laaper. … “We help organizations accelerate change and make Industry 4.0 a reality.”
Smart Factory features a fully functional production line and demonstrates a variety of advanced manufacturing techniques. Machines, platforms, and other systems interact seamlessly, resulting in an integrated factory floor that is agile and knowledgeable.
Sponsors expect the facility to attract more than 5,000 visitors to the local area over the next 12 months, including leaders from world -renowned companies. Visitors will experience smart factory concepts that combine the Internet of Things, the cloud, artificial intelligence, computer vision, and other interconnected systems that capture data to drive smart actions.
In addition to Deloitte and AWS, the project’s founders are Dragos, Infor, SAP, Siemens, and Wichita State University. Other organizations involved in the project include Check Point, HPE, Tenable, ServiceNow, UiPath, and Verizon.
Smart Factory includes a fully operational production line.