Abstract
This chapter deals with the use of advanced manufacturing technologies in Slovenian manufacturing companies in the light of Industry 4.0. The main objective of the chapter is to determine the adoption of technologies in manufacturing companies, and to analyse how selected technologies affect different company characteristics. The authors have analysed the differences in the use of technologies, depending on the company size, technological intensity, product complexity, ability to introduce new products, etc. Results are based on a sample of 118 Slovenian manufacturing companies, whose data were obtained through the 2018/19 European Manufacturing Survey edition. The results are presented with the use of descriptive statistics, and they show that the use of specific technologies in Slovenian manufacturing companies is quite diverse. They found out that the number of technologies used and the potential of their use have a positive impact on the product characteristic in terms of increasing the ability to manufacture complex products and to introduce new products to the market.
TopIntroduction
Manufacturing is defined as the transformation of materials and information into goods for the satisfaction of human needs. Manufacturing is concerned with making products. A manufactured product may itself be used to make other products, such as (a) a large press, to shape flat sheet metal into automobile bodies, (b) a drill, for producing holes, (c) industrial sawing machines, for making clothing at high rates, and (d) numerous pieces of machinery, to produce an endless variety of individual items, ranging from thin wire for guitars and electric motors to crankshafts and connecting rods for automotive engines (Kalpakjian & Schmid, 2009).
It is quite obvious that, when we speak about manufacturing, we immediately think about manufacturing technologies. Therefore, this chapter presents the diffusion of 16 selected manufacturing technologies that are characteristic for the Industry 4.0 era in the Slovenian manufacturing industry. Slovenia has a well-developed manufacturing industry, especially in the Rubber and Plastics, Metal Works, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and other metal sectors. Slovenian manufacturing companies are producers of final products in different sectors, as well as world-wide suppliers, especially in the Automotive industry. Therefore, it is of vital importance to monitor the development of these industries in terms of Advanced Manufacturing Technologies (AMT) and Information-Communication Technologies` (ICT) use.
We have analysed the use of AMT and ICT from different aspects: Company size, technological intensity, producer of final products (OEM) or supplier, product complexity, production types, ability to develop and introduce new products to the market, etc. We were aware of the fact that all analysed technologies cannot be present in a large share of manufacturing companies as they are really content related. On the other hand, we have analysed several technologies from the “digital factory” area and “automation/robots” area that have a potential and the need to find their way in all manufacturing environments.
The chapter is organised as follows: First, we will introduce the concept of Industry 4.0 in the light of Advanced Manufacturing Technologies. The methodological section explains the characteristics of the European Manufacturing Survey (EMS) and presents the analysed technologies. After that, we will present the use of these technologies in Slovenian manufacturing companies, and their impact on different characteristics of manufacturing companies. Finally, a concluding discussion is provided for the findings, where some trends are presented, and some managerial implications, research limitation and directions for future research are given.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Product Complexity: The combination of number of product components, different materials, used technologies and assembly requirements.
Industry 4.0: Concept of factories in which machines are augmented with wireless connectivity and sensors, connected to a system that can visualise the entire production line and make autonomous decisions.
European Manufacturing Survey: The largest survey on manufacturing activities, technical and organizational concepts in Europe.
Digital Factory: Factory which includes many digital technologies such as internet of things, robotics and artificial intelligence, and analysis capability through big data.
Cyber Physical System: Physical and engineered systems where operations are monitored, controlled, coordinated, and integrated by a computers and communication technologies.
Advanced Manufacturing Technology: Computer-controlled or micro-electronics-based equipment used in the design, manufacture or handling of a product.