Hexagon
Hexagon unveils its Digital Factory solution.
Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division has revealed its new Digital Factory solution. The digitalisation solution aims to help manufacturers to build highly accurate digital replicas of physical factories. By utilising a digital copy, the user can optimise floor plans and pivot production lines, which will result in smarter and more sustainable operations.
The digital reality solutions provider believes this type of solution could save a global manufacturing company around £35 million per year by avoiding potential errors. Additionally, it could result in a 50% reduction in travel costs and the on-site training required. More research (commissioned by Hexagon, conducted by Forrester) found that 32% of manufacturers believe that “outdated and ineffective manual processes and workflows are barriers to productivity and collaboration.”
Hexagon believes that the Digital Factory solution will allow manufacturers to increase productivity levels, and efficiency in remodelling, and eliminate costly mistakes. Greater collaboration efforts between manufacturing and operation teams are also expected with the remote features of the solution.
Technologies compatible with the Digital Factory solution:
- Hexagon’s range of reality capture technology, including the Leica BLK2GO handheld imagining laser scanner and the Leica BLK ARC autonomous scanning module for robotic and mobile carriers.
- Terrestrial laser scanners including the Leica RTC360.
- Leica Cyclone software portfolio and Hexagon’s Reality Cloud Studio allow users to quickly process data to recreate up-to-date 3D spaces both quickly and flexibly.
“Hexagon has developed a deep understanding of manufacturers’ needs. Digital Factory allows to bring the physical world into an accurate virtual sandbox of their factories on-demand,” said Nicolas Lachaud Bandres, VP of Industry Solutions at Hexagon. “Collaborating with their team and suppliers, they can consider ‘what-if’ scenarios to shape more effective plant designs and layouts and oversee implementation with irrefutable and accessible 3D plans. We’re making the digital factory more affordable and accessible, and we’re excited to see how our customers apply this to ramp up and remain competitive with smarter factories.”
Benefits of utilising the Digital Factory solution:
- Lead virtual tours: Tours can be completed remotely, meaning that no one will be required to travel to the site.
- Remote collaboration: Teams will be able to utilise remote collaboration facilities at any time, accessing cloud-based tools with analysis and modelling capabilities with on-demand data. Decisions can be made remotely, with feedback then provided using reliable and up-to-date data.
- Utilise accurate and detailed layouts to create factory plans: Using the precise measurements of a factory, users can create an exact digital model that can be accessed anytime, remotely. Then, progress can be regularly monitored to avoid any unexpected costs or errors.
- Upgrade and install equipment with ease: Solutions like machining centres, 3D printers, robotics and metrology systems can be evaluated and either upgraded, replaced or installed in the risk-free digital model. This will help eliminate expensive mistakes including ordering incorrect parts, ensuring access to the machine, and not ordering a machine too big for the space.
- Virtual testing: New machines, factory floor layouts and workflows can be tested in a virtual 3D environment, ensuring that the layout is feasible.