// ROBOTICS AND SMART FACTORIES TERM
Lights-Out Manufacturing
A fully automated production process where a factory can operate without any human presence. It's called "lights-out" because no lights are needed for human workers.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
Lights-Out Manufacturing describes a highly automated production environment where manufacturing processes operate autonomously without human intervention, typically leveraging robotics, automated material handling, and advanced control systems, often running 24/7 with minimal or no lighting.
BACKGROUND
Lights-out manufacturing or dark factory is the manufacturing methodology of fully automating the production of goods at factories and other industrial facilities, without requiring any human labour presence on-site. Many of these factories are considered to be able to run "with the lights off," but few run exclusively lights-out production. For example, in computer numerical control machining, the presence of human workers is typically required for removing completed parts and setting up tombstones that hold unfinished parts. As the technology necessary for total automation becomes increasingly available, many factories are beginning to use lights-out production between shifts to meet increasing production demand or to save money on labor.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Fully Automated Factory
- Unmanned Manufacturing
- Autonomous Production
USAGE NOTE
Lights-out manufacturing is often pursued for tasks that are repetitive, dangerous, or require extreme precision.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Lights-Out Manufacturing.
A Japanese group of companies that provide automation products and services such as robotics and computer numerical control (CNC) wireless systems. FANUC is a pioneer in the field, famously operating its own lights-out factories where robots build other robots.
A German multinational conglomerate whose Digital Industries division provides a comprehensive portfolio of software and hardware, including Digital Twin technology and the TIA Portal, which forms the digital backbone for highly automated, self-optimizing factories.
A Swiss-Swedish multinational corporation specializing in robotics, power, and automation technology. Their Robotics & Discrete Automation division provides industrial robots, software, and integrated solutions essential for creating unmanned manufacturing environments.
An American provider of industrial automation and digital transformation solutions. Their products, such as Allen-Bradley PLCs and FactoryTalk software, are crucial for the control, monitoring, and orchestration of fully automated production lines.
A German manufacturer of industrial robots and solutions for factory automation. KUKA's advanced robotics and intelligent automation systems are key components in building flexible, fully autonomous production cells that can run without human oversight.
Specializes in machine vision systems, software, and sensors that provide the 'eyes' for automated equipment. This technology is critical for guidance, inspection, and quality control in lights-out environments where human visual checks are absent.
A leading Japanese manufacturer of industrial robots (under the Motoman brand), servomotors, and motion controllers. Their technology enables the high-speed, high-precision automated tasks required for a factory to operate without human labor.
A Japanese builder of CNC machine tools that develops smart factory solutions. They design and implement highly automated machining centers and cells capable of long periods of unattended operation, a cornerstone of lights-out manufacturing.