Lights-out manufacturing is still not a reality but getting closer

The fully lights-out manufacturing facility has yet to be realized, and the more customized products become, the less likely it seems that autonomous manufacturing will come to fruition. However, automation and digital technologies are maturing enough to do the job, but the jump to fully lights-out is likely too much for industry all at once. Instead, implementation of individual lights-out processes will start the movement piece-by-piece. Lights-sparse manufacturing can scale more realistically, and the move to implement lights-out concepts will ride on flexibility and ease-of-use through software, which will likely change the engineering workforce skillset dramatically.

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To learn more about how lights-out manufacturing can support sustainable more efficient production, read the full article from our Endeavor Business Media partner publication Machine Design.