The “Smart Factory” in Crailsheim is one of the first “100 locations for Industry 4.0”
ELABO GmbH, a euromicron Group company, has been named one of the first “100 locations for Industry 4.0 in Baden-Württemberg” by the Industry 4.0 Baden-Württemberg Alliance. 13 companies that are trailblazers when it comes to production of the future have initially been chosen to receive this accolade as part of the “100 locations for Industry 4.0 in Baden-Württemberg” contest. Other locations are to follow. ELABO impressed with its “Smart Industry” approach and the Industry 4.0 model factory (”Smart Factory”) it has set up at its location and so was given the award in the categories service offering and software and networking solution.
Photo 1: Presentation of the award to ELABO’s Managing Director Thomas Hösle (left) by Vice-Minister Peter Hofelich (right)
The Industry 4.0 Baden-Württemberg Alliance, which was launched by Baden-Württemberg’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, brings together companies, chambers, associations, universities and research institutions and aims to establish the federal state of Baden-Württemberg as a globally leading region for Industry 4.0 technologies. Its main goal is to show small and medium-sized enterprises how they can move toward the age of Industry 4.0. ELABO’s Smart Factory is based on the idea of networking typical subprocesses in industrial production – research and development, production and quality assurance, repair and maintenance – on the basis of central data management software. All production-related information is available in real time at every workplace, while measurement and testing equipment is automatically parameterized. Also integrated are access control and video surveillance, ESD airlocks and light controlling, as well as intelligent material chutes and equipment storage facilities directly at the assembly line.
Photo 2: Assembly and test stations at the award-winning ELABO Smart Factory in Crailsheim
The award for this model factory was presented to ELABO on November 10, 2015, by Peter Hofelich, a member of the state parliament and Vice-Minister at Baden-Württemberg’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs. ELABO’s Managing Director Thomas Hösle was highly delighted: “This accolade fills us with pride and is further proof that we are on the right path with our ‘Smart Industry for SMEs’ concept,” says Hösle. “We’ll keep on developing our Industry 4.0 model factory systematically and so enable small and medium-sized enterprises to experience and leverage the possibilities of networked production and value added processes.”
Anyone interested can find more detailed information on ELABO’s Smart Industry approach at www.elabo.de. You can also register for a tour of the model factory there.