Driven by multiple external factors such as the U.S.–China trade war and exchange rate fluctuations, Taiwan’s machine tool industry is facing unprecedented structural pressure. Traditional business models relying on cost advantages and contract manufacturing are no longer sufficient to sustain long-term competitiveness. The industry urgently needs to shift toward transformation pathways centered on enhancing product value-added and strengthening integrated service capabilities, evolving from a pure equipment supplier into a provider of intelligent manufacturing integrated solutions.
This article discusses the urgent need for Taiwan’s precision machining industry to transition into "Data-Driven Manufacturing Partners" amidst global supply chain shifts. Wollong Industrial CEO Yong-Run Zeng emphasizes that high-value sectors like aerospace and semiconductors demand "Zero Defect" quality and full traceability, positioning cutting force sensing technology as the cornerstone of "Digital Quality Certificates." By implementing sensing solutions from Germany’s Pro-micron, Switzerland’s Kistler, and Taiwan’s Wollong, manufacturers can monitor tool wear in real-time, optimize parameters, and reduce machining time (e.g., by 16.5% in Blisk machining). The technology effectively quantifies expert intuition and provides precise diagnostics for processing challenging materials like nickel-based alloys and alumina ceramics. Ultimately, cutting force monitoring is identified as the strategic driver for next-generation manufacturing, enabling Taiwanese firms to secure long-term competitive advantages through process assurance and intelligent optimization.
In recent years, the global manufacturing industry has faced severe disruptions caused by geopolitical tensions between the United States and China, supply chain shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the energy crisis triggered by the Russia–Ukraine war. Under these pressures, Taiwan’s machine tool industry has encountered unprecedented challenges. This paper explores how smart and digital upgrading strategies, with a focus on customized development of high-end special-purpose machines, can strengthen the technological capabilities of Taiwan’s machine tool sector. The key technologies discussed include optimized design of transmission systems, lightweight structural design, and integrated response design of servo control and structural dynamics.
Amidst geopolitical instability and supply chain restructuring, Taiwan's rubber and plastics industry must strengthen its global presence and adopt Industry 4.0 technologies. The "Edge-Cloud Engine Platform Technology" developed by ITRI aims to assist domestic blow molding equipment manufacturers with digital transformation through M2M connectivity and utilization visibility systems, enabling high-efficiency integration and remote monitoring of information across various brands and controllers (such as Fanuc, Mitsubishi, PLC).
The Edge-Cloud Engine supports multiple communication modules (e.g., MELSEC, S7, Modbus) and establishes a data model based on the OPC UA protocol and EUROMAP standards, achieving cross-machine and cross-regional data synchronization to the cloud. Application services include a utilization rate visualization system, a host notification mechanism, and a WebAPI interface. Combined with remote container services, this platform significantly reduces maintenance costs, boosts production efficiency (OEE), and accelerates decision-making, transforming the industry into a provider of manufacturing, system integration, and software service TURNKEY solutions.
This article explores the growing importance of smart manufacturing amid pandemic and geopolitical shifts, highlighting the application of immersive interaction in remote collaborative engineering. By leveraging VR, AR, and Universal Scene Description (USD) technology integrated with IoT and engineering data, it enables real-time multi-user collaboration to reduce troubleshooting time for remote production lines and address carbon reduction and labor shortage challenges. ITRI has developed a task editor and immersive environments and will continue advancing digital transformation in smart manufacturing.
This study addresses motor anomaly issues in manufacturing by developing a monitoring system based on the VMX platform and AI toolbox. It captures vibration signals, performs feature analysis and classification to provide early warnings, reducing downtime and waste. Using a bearing life dataset, the system applies time- and frequency-domain features to distinguish normal, abnormal, and failure states. A real-world case validates its benefits, including reduced labor and maintenance costs, lower energy consumption, and minimized defective products, ultimately enhancing intelligent machining efficiency.
Industry 4.0 has driven digital transformation in manufacturing, integrating AIoT applications to enhance efficiency and quality while reducing costs through sensing, cloud, and edge computing. Based on the OPC UA standard, umati provides a universal machine technology interface, enabling seamless data exchange between devices, reducing communication costs, and accelerating IoT deployment in manufacturing. PMC and ITRI actively promote umati, supporting integration with MES, ERP, and cloud services. In the future, system integrators will play a pivotal role in advancing smart manufacturing and AI-driven applications.
TMTS 2024, themed “Dual-Axis Smart Manufacturing x Sustainable Future,” focuses on digital and green transformation in the machine tool industry, integrating AI, cloud computing, big data, and digital twins to drive smart manufacturing and energy efficiency. Generative AI applications are emerging, with companies adopting them for after-sales service, maintenance, and training, while exploring AI models and knowledge management for R&D and production. Industry-academia collaboration accelerates AI implementation, enabling smart factories, improving machining quality and efficiency, and leveraging cloud platforms and common industry standards to enhance supply chain integration and sustainable development.
This paper introduces a modular smart manufacturing service platform that integrates various APPs across five production stages. Through a service solution editor, XML Process Definition Language (XPDL), task dispatch processor, and standardized JSON data structures, the platform enables flexible data exchange and collaborative operations among APPs. Built on private cloud and NoSQL technologies, it reduces integration complexity and shortens implementation time from four weeks to one hour, accelerating smart manufacturing upgrades, increasing productivity, and driving industrial digital transformation.
The article introduces a “Rapid Detection Technology for Feed System Rigidity Attenuation in Machine Tool Drive Systems.” It utilizes servo motor sine-wave sweep measurements to obtain the Frequency Response Function (FRF), converting resonance frequency and amplitude into data for comparison with a sensitivity database to assess screw preload conditions. By integrating a digital model database, the method predicts rigidity attenuation trends, with experimental verification showing less than 3% error compared to simulations. This approach enables early fault warnings, reduces downtime losses, and improves equipment utilization and maintenance efficiency. It is well-suited for automated production lines, offering low cost and high accuracy.
This study presents the development of an “Automated Welding Preheat Temperature Monitoring and Warning System,” jointly created by ITRI and China Steel Machinery to enhance welding quality and safety. The system integrates a thermal imaging sensor mounted on a six-axis robotic arm to monitor workpiece surface temperature in real time. When the temperature exceeds preset limits, the system issues alerts and ensures compliance with welding procedure specifications. A multi-angle batch temperature measurement interface enables rapid parameter switching for different workpieces, displaying average, maximum, and minimum temperatures. Additionally, the system supports three operational modes—manual, identity-authenticated, and remote control—meeting Industry 4.0 automation requirements. This solution improves efficiency, reduces human error, and minimizes operational risks in welding processes
JIMTOF 2022, themed "Open the Door to the Future," positioned Digital Transformation (DX) and Green Transformation (GX) as the primary solutions to labor shortages, skill gaps, and carbon neutrality. Global leaders such as DMG MORI, MAZAK, and OKUMA showcased advanced Digital Twins, AI-driven automation, and remote support systems designed to lower operational barriers and maximize efficiency. Regarding GX, the industry has shifted toward "Green Smart Machines," utilizing real-time energy monitoring, automatic idle-stop functions, and intelligent thermal compensation to replace energy-intensive cooling. The exhibition underscored that DX serves as the technical foundation for achieving GX. Their synergy is driving the machine tool industry toward a high-efficiency, low-carbon future, providing a vital roadmap for global sustainable manufacturing.
