The latest manufacturing innovation in the automotive industry, microfactories, is showcased in Singapore by Hyundai. This new approach to car production involves a cell-based automated system, heavily reliant on robotics and AI, with robots performing tasks traditionally handled by humans. This method allows for a smaller factory footprint and greater flexibility in manufacturing different types of vehicles. The Singapore microfactory, which is the first auto factory in the country in over four decades, is a testbed for this new strategy that could significantly impact the future of manufacturing and urban mobility.
- Hyundai’s new microfactory in Singapore utilizes a cell-based, automated system for car production.
- Robots and AI largely replace human labor in the manufacturing process, allowing for more customization and flexibility.
- The microfactory has a smaller footprint compared to traditional large plants, with the capacity to produce up to 30,000 cars a year.
- Over 50% of the manufacturing process at the microfactory is conducted by robots, with human workers fixing any issues that arise.
- Only about a hundred workers are needed to produce the plant’s capacity, making the production process more efficient than traditional factories.
- While microfactories offer potential for urban manufacturing and more types of mobility devices, the shift towards automation means fewer manual jobs.
- Microfactories remain largely untested at a mass scale, with EV startup Arrival facing challenges in ramping up production at their microfactory.
- The microfactory concept, if successful, could be replicated in urban environments worldwide, leading to smart urban mobility hubs.
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