Smart Technology | Production Technology | Murata technology platform

Summary

Generally, smart technology (smart factory) refers to technologies that enable factory automation, efficiency, and optimization.
Murata’s smart technology automates and digitizes the skilled techniques and insights accumulated by experts in manufacturing environments. This achieves stable productivity and quality independent of human reliance.
The strength of Murata’s smart technology lies in its ability to leverage data accumulated on the factory floor and rapidly develop and apply cutting-edge technology tailored to on-site needs.
This technology continues to evolve, fusing on-site expertise with the latest technology to enable manufacturing that flexibly responds to changing market and production demands.

Technical Explanation
Technological Strengths
Technological Advancement
Application examples for this technology

Murata’s smart technology

Technical Explanation

Murata’s smart technology automates and digitizes the skilled techniques and insights accumulated on the manufacturing floor. This enables stable productivity and quality independent of human reliance. This smart technology is built on the integration of numerous elemental technologies, including AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) and robot design/control technology, data analysis and optimization technology utilizing AI (Artificial Intelligence) and IoT (Internet of Things), and flexible system integration technology adapted to on-site conditions.

For example, Murata’s unique integrated production system requires transporting items ranging from heavy raw material bags to fine, delicate Multilayer Ceramic Capacitor (MLCC), covering diverse sizes and shapes. To achieve a human-independent site, we independently design and develop specialized AGVs for heavy-duty transport, compact AGVs for high-speed transport, and AGVs equipped with collaborative robots. Furthermore, in sites where multiple AGVs and robots coexist, we centrally manage their movements. By sending optimal instructions based on work progress and on-site changes, we achieve overall efficiency and enhanced safety.

Core Technologies Comprising Smart Technology

Technological Strengths

Murata’s strength in smart technology lies in leveraging internally accumulated manufacturing data to rapidly and flexibly develop and apply cutting-edge technologies.

Generic generative AI has not learned Murata’s unique manufacturing know-how. Consequently, it may not provide responses that meet on-site expectations. Therefore, we trained AI using equipment maintenance records collected on the factory floor to develop generative AI specialized for this equipment.

Traditional maintenance records presented challenges due to inconsistent writing styles and expressions among personnel, making them difficult to utilize effectively. By applying generative AI for data preprocessing, we achieved the accuracy needed to obtain valid responses. This enables even less experienced personnel to work with efficiency comparable to veterans, significantly reducing maintenance time.

Furthermore, we didn’t stop at development; we continuously incorporate field feedback for improvements. For instance, in response to requests for faster utilization of equipment maintenance records, we reduced response time to one-fifth of the previous level. We also added voice input and answer-reading functions to meet the need for using the system while performing maintenance tasks. Through these cumulative enhancements, the system is evolving into one optimized for the field.

Smart Technology Evolving Through Accumulated Data × Advanced Technologies

Technological Advancement

Murata has long pursued equipment development and automation. However, certain tasks still require reliance on the know-how of skilled workers. To overcome this challenge and achieve production innovation in manufacturing, we have accelerated the development of smart technologies in recent years.

Manufacturing sites hold vast amounts of accumulated expertise and insights, much of it as tacit knowledge. We analyze and visualize this tacit knowledge using AI, converting it into explicit knowledge accessible to everyone. We then leverage these insights to develop robots capable of reproducing precise movements. This enables high-quality manufacturing anywhere in the world, independent of human reliance.

Furthermore, by advancing remote operation technologies, enabling real-time analysis, and utilizing smart devices that sense human presence, we are creating safe, location-independent work environments. These technologies aim to build well-being workplaces where people can choose diverse work styles while working healthily and energetically.

Murata’s smart technologies continue to evolve, envisioning a future of “healthy, energetic manufacturing where people, equipment, and AI collaborate.”