Siemen’s plant in Amberg, Germany recently had a very distinguished guest — Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany. The plant was honored by this important visitor due to innovations on the plant floor to make it a ‘digital factory’ in which the virtual and the real world merge into one.
"Our Electronics Plant is a prime example of a digital factory, and shows that Siemens is already implementing key elements of Industries 4.0. The organizational model of the "Digital Factory" as a Division, established on October 1, 2014, which also reflects this development in our company" said Joe Kaeser, President and CEO of Siemens AG.
According to Siemens, products in the plant already control their own assembly by communicating requirements and production instructions through product codes to the machines. 75 percent of the plant has been transitioned to automation, however, the company attests that the remaining 25 percent of human labor is an indispensable part of their production process.
Siemens believes that this plant represents factories of the future, which will produce individual products with more flexibility, higher efficiency and lower cost points.
"Amberg is the best proof that high tech and top innovations can sustainably secure Germany's position as an industrial location over the long term," said Kaeser.
With such an innovative plant, it is no wonder the Siemens plant had such interesting visitors knocking on their door.