Optimizing Production Material Flow in Smart Factories: A primary guiding model of Manual and Automated Equipment Selection : Case study in a Swedish battery factory

Sammanfattning: Planning and management of logistics and material flow are widely studied and two key factors contributing to company competitiveness. Automation in material flow is recognized in efficient and profitable factories in the context of today’s smart industry, however, the operators are playing a significant role as well. The purpose of the study was to identify which criteria could be used to determine the level of automation in a material flow of the industrial factory. A model was developed to practically support the decision making on the level of automation for the case company that was going to build a pilot line for battery manufacturing. The question for the case company was to decide whether the process should be fully automated, manual, or semi-automated in its trial production to avoid costly reconfigurations when a full production starts. In this study a literature review was conducted in the form of previous research to describe which criteria were important to decide the level of automation. The literature study together with site visiting, interviews, survey and document analysis was used for the formulation of research questions, establishment of methodology and model development. The study has identified different criteria whereas six of them are shared by both literature studies and the case company. Two unique criteria were identified in the case company but not found in the literature: lead time and recruitment. The lead time refers to the time from planning to finished process and the recruitment is about how difficult to recruit people with the right skills. Two theoretical contributions presented in this study: new criteria when deciding on the level of automation and a model that assists in decisions regarding the level of automation in early phases. The model is also a practical contribution to the case company. Finally, some suggestions for further research within the area are presented.