IIT Madras launches Smart Manufacturing & Digital Transformation Centre

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has announced the launch of Smart Manufacturing and Digital Transformation Centre (SMDTC) to democratise Smart Manufacturing and Digital Transformation.

According to the institution, it will create the foundation elements of the Manufacturing Execution System, IIoT Database and Manufacturing Intelligence Software platforms for Indian MSMEs, adopting Industry 4.0 practices.

The Smart Manufacturing and Digital Transformation Centre was inaugurated on July 13 2022 by N Chandrasekaran, chairman, Tata Sons, in the presence of Pawan Kumar Goenka, chairman, Board of Governors, IIT Madras, V. Kamakoti, director, IIT Madras, N Ramesh Babu, secretary, AMTDC, Ananth Seshan, vice-chairman – MESA International, Prabakar Selvam, chairman – MESA APAC and CEO – Cantier Systems, R Ravisankar, chairman – MESA India SIG (South) and executive director, Cantier Systems and Alok Varshney, chairman and MESA India SIG (North).

The centre has been established in a joint partnership between Advanced Manufacturing Technology Development Centre (AMTDC), a Centre of Excellence at IIT Madras, MESA International (Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association), and Cantier Systems.

N Ramesh Babu, Faculty, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, and Secretary, AMTDC, IIT Madras, said that SMDTC would lead in provisioning a smart manufacturing model factory/experience centre and also support collaborative research/innovation for Industry 4.0 in process intelligence, robotics and machining dynamics control automation.

The SMDTC will focus on various areas including smart manufacturing education & community interaction for capacity building; collaborative research & end-to-end Innovation for smart process intelligence and 5G enablement to democratise smart manufacturing adoption.

The Smart Manufacturing and Digital Transformation Centre aims to focus on smart manufacturing education and community interaction for capacity building, smart manufacturing maturity assessment, smart manufacturing experience center with model factory facilities, collaborative research and end-to-end innovation for smart process intelligence, 5G enablement to democratise smart manufacturing adoption, smart manufacturing supply chain collaboration.

Furthermore, the collaboration aims to create a unified platform for the next generation of smart manufacturing, unlocking the hidden value from legacy manufacturing assets by contextually liberating relevant data from the shop floor equipment or devices and delivering exponential business value to the enterprise.

“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.”

Article courtesy of: financialexpress