A ‘smart factory’ R&D test-bed facility at the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) has been officially opened by Business Secretary Greg Clark.
He visited Factory 2050 earlier this month to see how a private-sector consortium led by Rolls-Royce and Accenture — and drawn from the aerospace, automotive and pharmaceutical industries — has collaborated with the AMRC to develop a connected facility that will de-risk investment in the digital technologies at the heart of the ‘Made Smarter’ initiative.
He was given a tour of the connected ‘smart factory’ test bed, which included real-time data streams from remote machining activities, smart assembly using intelligent work benches and augmented reality, visual inspection linked to artificial intelligence, and a reconfigurable factory cell.
The new facility aims to show that applying digital technologies to manufacturing can produce a 50% productivity benefit, a 30% reduction in defects and a 50% reduction in the ‘time to market’.
Mr Clark said: “From its two leading universities to the new Boeing factory, Sheffield has a bright future as a leader internationally for advanced manufacturing, innovation and R&D. The facilities at this first ‘smart factory’ test bed will be a real asset to the city and the UK.”
Keith Ridgway, founder of the AMRC, said: “Working closely with Rolls-Royce and Accenture, the AMRC has created a facility where manufacturing companies — from global brands like Airbus to local family firms like Footprint Tools Ltd — can come to de-risk the development of digital solutions that will drive innovation across their businesses.”