Industry 4.0 represents the fourth industrial revolution in which manufacturing is enhanced with smart and autonomous systems and driven by data and machine learning. Cyber-physical systems form an integral part of Industry 4.0, enabling the integration and interconnectivity of physical and computer components to achieve higher efficiency, productivity, and the autonomous operation of production processes.
To drive the Industry 4.0 transformation in Thailand, NECTEC-NSTDA launched Sustainable Manufacturing Center (SMC) in 2020 to provide services to industry in five areas including Industry 4.0 assessment, consultation, implementation, testbed and training. SMC is currently based at Thailand Science Park and will be in full operation in 2022 at a new facility presently under construction at ARIPOLIS-EECi.
Dr. Panita Pongpaibool, SMC Director, described SMC as a one-stop-service center to help transition enterprises into Industry 4.0 through the following steps, from readiness assessment and consultation and system integrator recommendation to solution provision and access to finance.
For solution provision, SMC offers both custom solution and platform solution. Custom solutions are specially designed to meet specific requirements set by individual clients, whereas platform solutions are developed to offer solutions to common problems faced by factories – a suitable choice for SMEs. Examples of SMC custom solutions include an electric drive and transmission system for an electric boat prototype designed for Sakun C Innovation, a power generator inspection robot developed for the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand and an AI-based water leakage detection system and cloud-based information management system for the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority. Meanwhile, Industrial IoT and Data Analytics (IDA) Platform has been developed to support Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) by installing IoT system to common industrial equipment such as boilers, condensers and air compressors in order to monitor energy efficiency performance and optimize decision-making. Another available platform solution is the motor and transmission testing system for predicting motor condition in order to enable preventive maintenance.
In addition to developing solutions, SMC also promotes Industry 4.0 through training activities and testbed services. SMC will start a membership program at the new facility located at EECi. The membership program brings together industry, academia, system integrators and technology vendors to create a dynamic ecosystem for Industry 4.0.
To prepare workforce to support Industry 4.0 in 140,000 factories in Thailand, SMC regularly organizes workshops and courses for business operators, academic staff and students, and system integrators. More than 2,300 people attended SMC trainings in the past year. Examples of training activities are Industrial Automation Training Systems for factory workers, comprehensive course on IIoT for vocational teachers and students and AI Innovation JumpStart for software developers.
For more information on SMC, please visit its official website at www.nectec.or.th/smc.