In the era of smart manufacturing, where automation, CIM, and big data AI popular apply in the industry, smart manufacturing is a term widely used in the industry, but often misunderstood. Many companies mistakenly equate it with automation, CIM, or big data AI, limiting their vision of what true smart manufacturing entails. With overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) still hovering around 60%, it is evident that the true potential of smart manufacturing remains untapped. In reality, smart manufacturing goes beyond information flow and embraces the practical application of physical technology. By integrating innovative scientific technologies, the manufacturing industry is undergoing a transformative revolution. This article explores how MTS (Manufacturing Technology Solutions) has combined key smart manufacturing technologies and leveraged real-time physical signal processing, digital twinning, and virtual-to-real integration to contribute to seamless production processes.

One company stands out for its revolutionary approach—MTS. Founded in Europe in 1990,MTS has been a leading provider of industrial technology solutions. While most companies only scratch the surface of smart manufacturing, MTS has pioneered the concept of Zero Downtime, redefining the limits of industrial efficiency.

The Journey

 During its first decade, MTS focused on delivering equipment and process reliability to industries such as petrochemicals, steel, automotive, and power plants. However, it was a special project with a renowned petrochemical plant that led to a ground breaking discovery. MTS’s equipment not only achieved zero failures but also reduced overall equipment and process costs by a remarkable 46% within six months. This success prompted the implementation of MTS Industrial Solutions in 48 factories worldwide, earning the Name MTS “Zero Downtime System” defined by its petrochemical partner. While the industry was fixated on TPM (Total Productive Maintenance), which required significant human and material resources with limited results, MTS had already developed the world’s first global industrial Zero Downtime System in 1995. This technology was adopted by 876 Tier 1 industries worldwide between 1990 and 2000.

MTS has always focused on its value proposition as the core of its business model. The company emphasizes providing customers with the maximum value. As mentioned earlier, the CEO of a petrochemical client personally confirmed that the ROI in the first year was 106 times the investment, leading them to proactively request continued collaboration with MTS and further technological development.

MTS entered into papermaking industry, where they offered solutions to increase paper machine production speed. In 2000, papermaking machines were highly expensive, and every paper break or equipment failure resulted in significant losses. At that time, over 100 of the World’s largest paper mills used MTS papermaking machines, known for their zero failures and zero sheet breaks. MTS also provided maintenance-free motor solutions for 20 years. Additionally, they developed technology to increase paper machine speed by 15%, generating value and benefits worth millions of dollars for each paper machine.

Expanding Horizons

After establishing its presence in industries such as papermaking, nuclear power, fossil power, food, facilities, oil refining, and automotive, MTS continued to push the boundaries of smart manufacturing. By integrating IT, OT, MT, RT, and BT, MTS revolutionized the industrial sector, surpassing traditional automated factories and AOI processes. Leveraging industrial AI and real-time physical data analysis, MTS achieved automatic compensation, repair, maintenance, fault detection, recipe adjustment, and precise setups. These innovations eliminated human error, ushering in a new era of industrial manufacturing.

Reliability Technology

 Reliability technology plays a crucial role in smart manufacturing by ensuring the reliability and performance of equipment and systems. It encompasses predictive and automatic compensation techniques, such as condition monitoring, real-time fault analysis, and reliability-centred physical compensation. By leveraging advanced physical sensors and real-time analysis technology, manufacturing factories can collect real-time data on equipment operation, enabling them to identify potential issues before they cause downtime and automatically compensate and repair. This proactive approach ensures zero faults and significantly improves output, making it a globally leading technology.

Smart Maintenance Technology

 Smart maintenance technology compensates for reliability through real-time physical signal processing. It involves the use of digital twins generated from intelligent physical data, such as real-time models for maintenance adjustment, compensation for minor fluctuations in process quality, and digital twin technologies for virtual analogue and predictive models. Smart compensation technology allows manufacturing plants to effectively ensure zero faults, reduce human errors, and maximize equipment uptime. By automating maintenance workflows and utilizing intelligent diagnostics, manufacturing factories can promptly address issues and optimize production capacity to the fullest extent.

Advanced Operation Technology

 Advanced operation technology focuses on improving operational efficiency and productivity. It encompasses various technologies, including robotics, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and advanced data analytics. Smart automation is at the core of OT, enabling automatic calibration, automatic setup, real-time quality control (e.g., CPK), and automatic compensation. By harnessing the power of OT, manufacturers can streamline production processes, reduce cycle times, and eliminate human errors. Real-time monitoring and feedback enable timely adjustments, ensuring consistent product quality and minimizing waste. It can also replace post-production inspection, repetitive tasks, and automated optical inspection (AOI), as quality is manufactured rather than inspected.

Realtime Technology (IT) and Industry Domain Knowledge Machine Learning with

Physical AI:

The integration of real-time physical signal processing technology (IT) and machine learning using industry domain knowledge models enables manufacturers to make data-driven decisions and maximize production performance. By applying advanced machine learning algorithms with industrial intelligence, real-time physical data from various sources, including equipment sensors, smart automation, and real-time quality compensation technologies, can be collected and analysed. These algorithms detect patterns, predict anomalies, and identify areas where real-time compensation is needed. By applying closed-loop control technology with automatic compensation, the manufacturing process can adapt to changing conditions, ensuring zero defects and maximizing output.

In smart manufacturing, using unstructured big data for machine learning (ML) often lacks the same level of precision as using models and physical data, especially for different manufacturing devices. This is because unstructured big data often contains various types and formats of information, which may include noise, missing values, and inconsistencies, making it challenging to extract accurate patterns and predictions.

On the other hand, analysis based on models and physical data is more precise. Models are built based on an understanding of specific manufacturing processes and knowledge, allowing them to capture specific features and patterns of those processes. Similarly, physical data is collected from real-world physical devices, providing actual observations and measurements of the manufacturing process. This data is more accurate and reliable, offering a true reflection of the manufacturing process.

Breakthrough in the Semiconductor Industry

In 2013, MTS received an invitation to enter the semiconductor industry. Collaborating closely with its first semiconductor partner, MTS discovered the pressing need for increased output to minimize the CAPEX investment the value of costly capital expenditures (CAPEX). MTS established a dedicated Semiconductor Manufacturing Solutions division, developing technologies that increased production capacity by 50% while achieving Zero Downtime and Zero Alarm without any additional CAPEX. It is the MTS CAP (CAPEX Avoidances Program) solution became very famous in global Industry. Today, MTS collaborates with over 60% of the top 10 semiconductor manufacturers globally, offering cutting-edge solutions throughout the semiconductor supply chain. Embracing Sustainability and Energy Efficiency: In recent years, the world has prioritized energy and sustainability issues. MTS has responded by developing energy-efficient production systems that enable a 30% reduction in energy consumption without the need for equipment replacement or additional investment. MTS’s energy-saving technology has proven invaluable for industries worldwide, aligning manufacturing processes with environmental goals.

MTS has expanded its presence from Europe to North America and finally to Asia, providing industrial services. MTS recognizes that most companies focus on management Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and set similar requirements for their employees. However, with the development of industries today, there is tremendous untapped potential in utilizing technology to find value.

Since its establishment in 1990, MTS has achieved such significant industrial value by focusing on commonality. Despite differences in industries, products, and equipment, there are underlying similarities within MTS’s core technologies. By understanding these commonalities in depth, MTS can reach the pinnacle in most industries.

MTS has developed a physics-based AI system centred around commonality. It enables real-time data analysis, real-time CPK (Capability Process Index), real-time prediction, and real-time auto compensation. This revolutionary approach empowers industrial businesses to make informed decisions, optimize processes, and maximize efficiency, all in real-time.

MTS commitment to embracing technology, leveraging commonality, and delivering tailored solutions sets them apart as a global leader in industrial services. With their unwavering focus on value creation and their pioneering advancements in the field of industrial AI, MTS continues to transform industries and drive sustainable growth for their partners worldwide.