Enabling manufacturers to deliver a £270bn GDP boost

A pioneering research project has developed a blueprint to guide UK manufacturers, particularly SMEs, towards greater productivity, flexibility and competitiveness. Jonny Williamson reports.

A challenge that has plagued UK industry for decades is how to help small and mediumsized manufacturers better understand and exploit the benefits of automation and digital technologies. While there are numerous examples of SMEs who have successfully embraced these advancements and are reaping the benefits, it is also true that most haven’t.

Rising levels of global protectionism, competition, conflict and disruption make it increasingly vital to address this disparity. Possibly more compelling is the potential £270bn boost* to UK GDP gained if the bottom 75% of SMEs could match the productivity of the top 25%.

Government-backed financial incentives, training programmes, innovation drives and collaboration networks are all helping bridge the gap. However, they frequently miss a crucial aspect. Many off-the-shelf solutions are tailored for mass-production settings that churn out large volumes of identical or similar goods day in, day out.

SMEs operate differently. They typically focus on custom or small-batch production of highly complex, specialised goods. This requires greater flexibility and agility in their manufacturing processes. While industrial solutions can be adapted to suit their needs, the added cost and complexity of doing so puts them further out of reach for SME budgets.

This raises the question, can automation and digital technologies meet the demands of a highly complex, low volume and diverse product mix, while remaining affordable, accessible and adaptable?

Many industrial business owners remain sceptical but a groundbreaking research project has demonstrated that it can be achieved. Fortunately, the participants are willing to not only share their findings but also actively support others in adopting these methods and technologies.

Low-risk, low-barrier pathway

COREF (Connected Reconfigurable Factory) was a three-year, multimillion-pound initiative to establish two fully functioning, digitally connected Demonstrator Labs – one at Thales Belfast, the other at Thales Crawley.

The labs provide a low-risk environment to experience, develop and test technology in a real-world setting. Targeted at manufacturers with complex, low volume, high mix specialist outputs, the labs are particularly relevant for those involved in aerospace, defence, nuclear, medical and precision engineering.

They have also been tailored towards SMEs, providing an ideal setting to understand and leverage the benefits of automation and digital technologies, including improved productivity, quality control, manufacturing agility and costefficiency.

By testing multiple technologies in a connected way, rather than in isolation, users of the labs can identify which combination provides the optimal solution in addition to the infrastructure and investment requirements, helping to de-risk future deployments.

Funded through Innovate UK, the project was led by Thales UK, which operates 16 sites, employs more than 7,000 people and contributes almost £1.6bn in annual economic value. Despite its size and scale, Thales UK shares a common trait with much smaller manufacturers in that it deals with a highly complex, low volume, diverse product mix.

It also shares similar challenges, such as manufacturing siloed, standalone products leading to long lead times and costly solutions, and having a clear vision for key digital technologies but lacking a tangible method to deploy them.

From here, COREF was born. A way for Thales UK and its supply chain to gain experience in cutting-edge systems, including remote connectivity, automated quality and augmented human systems, while accelerating the deployment and development of digital skills across the UK.

Like most industry primes, Thales UK is reliant on its supply chain. Involving that ecosystem was a vital part of defining COREF, explained Richard Gaughran, a Digital Manufacturing Specialist at Thales UK.

“How do we encourage suppliers to get on this journey? How can they start innovating in this space if they haven’t got the budget or access to these technologies? It was crucial that whatever we developed could also be deployed by suppliers, regardless of their scale.

“How to accelerate deployment was equally important. We needed to ensure these technologies didn’t take years to implement. We had to demonstrate a return on investment quickly and simply without adding complexity.”

A proven, scalable blueprint

The two COREF Demonstrator Labs incorporate a range of technologies spanning data analytics, machine learning, digital twins, vision and control systems, augmented reality, smart tooling and collaborative robotics.

Any one of these can bring significant improvements and efficiencies to specific manufacturing processes or functions. However, their full transformative potential is realised when they are integrated and work together seamlessly.

Achieving this integration involves overcoming long-standing technical challenges such as interoperability, data standardisation and flexibility. While adding more digital tools to a manufacturing environment enhances capability, it also increases complexity. Plug-and-play systems aren’t yet available for these tools unless users opt for a single supplier solution, which may limit operational flexibility.

Recognising the need for a flexible and technology-agnostic approach, the COREF team developed a scalable reference architecture. This framework standardises and simplifies the integration of digital tools into an industrial network and defines a generic approach for how data is extracted, transmitted and interrogated.

The specific manufacturing processes demonstrated in either of the COREF labs are, in many respects, unimportant, added Daniel Naylor, a Digital Manufacturing Specialist at Thales UK.

He explained that COREF’s primary aim wasn’t to showcase the perfect way to manufacture, for instance, an optomechanical assembly, but rather to show how technologies could perform in a connected manner.

“The goal was to show how you could optimise the combination of smart tools, vision systems, the augmented human and automation in order to maximise their value. Focusing on a high product mix environment also led to a productagnostic approach in designing all the processes and interactions. The product in our demonstrator is only there to make it real and easier for people to understand.

“It’s not about replicating the same processes or using the same technologies and suppliers we have; the key lies in the interoperability, the underlying principles and how the labs were put together.”

According to those involved, COREF owes its success to fundamental principles such as open collaboration, cross-functional involvement, simplicity, agility, iterative development and a root cause focus.

Interestingly, apart from implementing a standard network protocol and building up digital skills, all these principles revolve around people, underscoring the vital human aspect in any technology-driven project.

Seamless IT/OT communication

Bi-directional communication refers to the ability of systems or devices to transmit data in both directions – sending and receiving information. This two-way communication allows for real-time data exchange between systems and is a core component of creating a connected manufacturing environment.

While the concept sounds straightforward, the large number of different devices and systems within a typical factory poses technical challenges around complexity, scalability, reliability and latency.

A remarkable success for COREF was establishing true bi-directional communication between the IT and OT layers.

“It works, there’s no smoke and mirrors. We’ve got bi-directional comms from MESTEC’s Manufacturing Execution Software (MES) to the OT layer and vice versa,” explained Richard.

The decision to adopt MQTT as the standard data protocol played a crucial role in achieving this level of interoperability, added Pär Eliasson, Technical Sales Engineer at MESTEC.

“MQTT supports various programming languages and platforms, enabling seamless communication between devices and systems. It’s known for its reliability, scalability and efficiency, making it ideal for exchanging data over constrained networks, such as in factories.

“It’s free and easy to use, making it ideal for SMEs, while being flexible so companies can tailor it to suit their specific needs and requirements. Globally, MQTT is increasingly recognised as one of the de facto standards for industrial technologies, particularly in the context of IoT and Industry 4.0 applications.”

A legacy of continued innovation

While the COREF project has officially concluded, its impact lives on. The two digitally connected Demonstrator Labs at Thales Belfast and Crawley remain active and open for SMEs looking for a low-cost, low-barrier way to test new technology concepts or technology providers seeking to develop their product offerings.

Additionally, project partners have established a network of COREF Demonstrator Cells in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales to help disseminate the knowledge and learnings further into the manufacturing community.

“With a widespread network of Demonstrator Labs and Cells across the UK, it doesn’t matter where you are, one will be within reach. Take a morning and visit one, ask questions and engage. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain,” said Nicole Ballantyne, Head of Customer Success at MESTEC.

Richard agreed: “It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the ultimate goal but there’s nothing to stop you starting immediately.

“Smart tooling is a great example. A smart tool, even without immediate connectivity, is already an upgrade over traditional tools. You can use it for the same tasks as before but gain valuable data from it, even if it means initially extracting it manually via USB.

“You can increase the value by integrating that tool into an industrial network enabling you to monitor the data centrally, send commands via your MES and incorporate RFID or machine learning.

“The possibilities for improvement are endless, and you can start today. Don’t wait until you have every piece in place. Begin with a clear strategy, know your long-term goals, understand the enablers and use initiatives like COREF to show you what’s possible.”