Successful manufacturers are never standing still.  The marketplace is always changing and a strong manufacturer changes with it.  But today’s floor plan probably looks quite a bit different from the plans of yesteryear.  So what makes a modern factory floor successful?

Flexibility.  The old model involves huge pieces of equipment that dictate the way space is used.   Newer, innovative designs include elements that have flexibility at the heart of their performance.  For example, a Komax wafer mixer fits in confined spaces while still reducing energy loss of flow through the mixer.  A combination of centerline and upstream injection and distribution elements allows mixing to happen at a variety of rates of flow.

“Smart” choices.  Today’s factory floor is very much its own kind of smart machine, from GPS, video, camera, real-time data analytics and more.  As manufacturers become more familiar with the possibilities of smart data and the Internet of Things, they are discovering many great uses for the technology, including catching safety concerns before they become a hazard or discovering needed maintenance before the machine actually goes down.

Learning the lessons of the past.  Moving into the future requires that leaders have a strong sense of where the business has been.  Understanding the business challenges in your field as well as connecting your business to those issues propels the factory into the future.  Knowing your core strengths as a business – whether that is your people, your collaboration with outside sources, your trade secret – is the bedrock of success.

Upgrading your factory floor can be easy.  Culture and leadership are just as important as staying up on the new trends.  New equipment doesn’t have to be a budget breaker, and with the money saved on energy efficiency, the investment pays for itself quickly.