The prestigious Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) has launched a Smart Manufacturing and Digital Transformation Centre to achieve world class and self-reliance in manufacturing. The centre will focus on collaborative research and end-to-end innovation for smart process intelligence, 5G enablement and smart manufacturing supply chain collaboration.
The centre will also create the foundation elements of the manufacturing execution system, IIoT database and manufacturing intelligence software platforms for Indian MSMEs, adopting Industry 4.0 practices to leapfrog toward world class and self-reliant Manufacturing.
The centre is being established in a joint partnership between Advanced Manufacturing Technology Development Centre (AMTDC), a Centre of Excellence at IIT-M, MESA International (Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association), and Cantier Systems, a leading provider of Next Generation Manufacturing Execution System for Industry 4.0
It was inaugurated on July 13 by N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons. Prof N Ramesh Babu, Faculty, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT-M, said SMDTC will focus on smart manufacturing education and community, interaction for capacity building, smart manufacturing maturity assessment, and smart manufacturing experience centre with model factory facilities.
Prabakar Selvam, Chairman - MESA APAC & CEO - Cantier Systems, said derived from the global experiences of MESA’s International members, the SMDTC will help in smart manufacturing education and maturity assessment so that the Indian MSMEs can get access to the latest global implementation practices.
The plan and benefits in the immediate term include smart manufacturing maturity assessment and continuous improvement, workforce development through high-impact vocational training programs on smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 and implementation experience sharing with case studies.
5G enablement to democratise smart manufacturing adoption will also be taken up besides virtual smart manufacturing supply chain collaboration and providing students with engagements in hands-on implementation of smart manufacturing technologies.