RISE OF MICROFACTORY DEFINING MANUFACTURING EXCELLENCE EXCENTENCE

'Microfactory', coined in Japan in 1990, has been employed effectively by many enterprises globally over the past three decades. Today, it has evolved into a commercially viable substitute for traditional manufacturing. However, as the name is still not widely accepted, numerous industrial technologies are referred to as microfactories. This Cover Story defines every aspect of such microfactories. A read on...

- NEHA BASUDKAR GHATE

The idea of a microfactory is not standard. It is a manufacturing term with a broad definition. It is a manufacturing, assembly, or production facility that produces small quantities of goods in a space that is more compact than conventional factories. To maximise capacity and quality while lowering costs through minimal investment and operational manpower, microfactories are often highly automated and robotised.

The key benefits of the microfactory are the enormous resource savings in terms of time, space, energy, and materials. They require less equipment and capacity than traditional factories, reducing initial investment, rampup time, and operational costs radically.

Because of their decreased dimensions, most microfactories are used for small-batch manufacturers of a wide range of items rather than conventional mass production. The manufactured goods often have a tiny form factor and are light in weight.

Automatic machine tools, CNC tools, robotic arms, assembly systems, quality inspection systems, material feeders, guides, waste elimination and collection systems, packaging and marking applications, and solutions for monitoring tool performance are just a few features that make up microfactory configurations.

Birth of the Microfactory concept

The Mechanical Engineer Laboratory (MEL) of Japan initially introduced the idea of a Microfactory in 1990.

After that, MEL spent almost a decade working on a project to reduce the size of manufacturing systems and machine tools. In 1996, MEL created a micro lathe no larger than a human palm.

This prompted MEL to develop a working prototype of a complete manufacturing facility, which ultimately led to the development of the first desktop fabrication machine for the manufacturing of microball bearings in 1999.

Microfactory vs Conventional Manufacturing Model