Lights-out manufacturing: How bright is the future?

In the 1955 short story Autofac, Philip K. Dick envisioned a world dominated by self-replicating robots. Over time, the planet's resources will be exhausted due to the relentless labour of these robots. Autofac is a dystopian take on what is already happening in some manufacturing facilities. In these places, robots tirelessly toil day and night, often without any human oversight.

What is lights-out manufacturing?

Lights-out manufacturing is a highly automated production process where factories operate without human intervention. The term "lights-out" comes from the idea that these factories do not need lighting, as no humans are present to require it.

Like the autofacs, state-of-the-art robots at several plants can now work in total autonomy for extended periods of time.

Benefits of lights-out manufacturing

1) Saving costs and increased profitability

Despite the high initial cost, lights-out manufacturing offers several advantages. One major benefit of lights-out manufacturing is the potential for higher profitability. By reducing the need for human labour, companies can lower labour costs, including wages, benefits, and training expenses.

Companies can now rent robots by the hour through the machine-as-a-service (MaaS) model. This allows them to minimise capital investment and maximise profitability by only paying for the time the robots are in use.

2) Save on energy and operational costs

Additionally, lights-out manufacturing enables businesses to save on energy and operational costs. A fully automated factory can run efficiently without the need for human necessities, such as lighting, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.

This allows the factory to operate seamlessly even in the absence of human presence. Robots can also operate in significantly smaller work cells, reducing the costs related to an adequately spacious plant floor.

3) Enhanced worker safety

Finally, robots are the ideal choice for working in dangerous industrial environments.

By reducing the need for human workers in hazardous environments, lights-out manufacturing enhances workplace safety. Robots excel at performing dangerous tasks. They can handle toxic materials and operate heavy machinery, effectively reducing the risk of workplace accidents and injuries. This leads to a safer work environment and lower insurance and healthcare costs for the company.

Lights-out manufacturing examples

FANUC corporation

FANUC, a Japanese robotics and automation company, has been a pioneer in lights-out manufacturing since 2001. At their Oshino plant, FANUC robots not only manufacture other robots but do so autonomously. They self-replicate at a rate of 50 per 24-hour shift, running unsupervised for up to 30 days. [1]

These robots operate 24/7. They handle everything from parts delivery to assembly, testing, packaging, and shipment. This shows the full potential of lights-out operations.

Philips

Lights-out production is not exclusive to robotics and is already used to produce consumer goods. For example, Philips, a global leader in health technology, runs an almost completely automated factory in the Netherlands. The facility uses 128 robots with fine dexterity to produce about 15 million electric razors a year. The only step in which human workers are involved is quality assurance. [2]

However, thanks to Autonomous Machine Vision systems such as the INSPEKTO S70, launched by Israeli-German company Inspekto, even this phase might soon be fully automated.

GE Appliances

GE Appliances, a Haier company, has integrated lights-out manufacturing in their Decatur, Alabama, plant. This facility employs advanced robotics for various manufacturing processes, including metal fabrication and assembly. The implementation of lights-out operations has significantly improved production rates and consistency.

Currently, there are very few factories run exclusively lights-out. However, the availability and accessibility of industrial robots is allowing more and more plants to add lights-out shifts to their regular ones, typically at night and at weekends.

The human factor and the future of manufacturing

Lights-out manufacturing could help retain employees by allocating them to more rewarding positions, rather than making workers redundant. Robots succeed at handling repetitive, monotonous, and hazardous tasks. Humans, therefore, can be requalified and given more complex tasks that demand judgment-based thinking and problem-solving skills.

It is crucial for employers to invest in educating and training their workforce. Employees need to recognise the significance of this education in order to stay competitive in a job market that is constantly evolving.

The increased profitability that results from lights-out shifts is also helping companies to keep their production in house. Manufacturers can avoid logistical and ethical problems related to delocalisation.

Furthermore, there will always be a demand for highly qualified workers who can develop, set up, and oversee machines. These workers are also responsible for performing necessary maintenance work.

When machines run 24/7, with or without supervision, their components can wear out quickly. In Autofac, when the central robot is destroyed it simply self-replicates by sending out copies of itself around the planet. Though we don't build self-replicating machines, EU Automation ensures you get the parts you need, when you need them, minimising downtime and keeping your production flowing.

Citations:
[1] https://www.fanuc.co.jp/en/profile/production/factory1.html

[2] John Markoff, “Skilled Work, Without the Worker,” New York Times, Aug. 18, 2012; “Fade To Black: The 1980s Vision of ‘Lights-out’ Manufacturing, Where Robots Do All the Work, Is a Dream No More,” Christopher Null and Brian Caulfi eld, Business 2.0 Magazine, June 1, 2003.

Das, A. (2015). An Introduction to operations management: The joy of operations. Routledge.