Micron takes on smart manufacturing to fuel memory-hungry sectors
In the early 2000s, Micron's customers were PC-centric. But smartphones, internet of things devices at the edge, cloud computing and data centers are pushing the limits of memory technology.
Naomi Eide @NaomiEide
Published July 16, 2019
MANASSAS, Va. — From the outside, Micron Technology Inc.'s Virginia manufacturing plant is unassuming.
While enormous, the generic, boxy architecture fails to hint at the ballet of machines whirring inside. There's no glimpse of the thousands of square feet of clean room attended by plastic suit-glad employees in the secure facility.
The only clue impressing the scale of the facility is the battery of heavy equipment working to expand the semiconductor manufacturing plant. The company plans to invest $3 billion by 2030, creating more than 1,000 jobs in the next 10 years.
Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, Micron is one of the largest semiconductor companies in the world and brought in $30.4 billion, up 50% year-over-year, according to its fiscal 2018 earnings report in September.
In the U.S., it's behind companies like Intel in terms of revenue, which brought in $70.8 billion in revenue in fiscal 2018, up 12% year-over-year, according to its year-end earnings report in January.
With 12 manufacturing sites globally, Micron has to keep pace with businesses' hunger for advanced memory technology.
In the early 2000s, the company's customers were PC-centric, with buyers from Dell and Lenovo. But smartphones, internet of things devices at the edge, cloud computing and data centers are driving increased memory demand.
The primary responsibility for the Manassas site is to make memory and storage products — DRAM, NAND and NOR — for automotive and industrial IoT, said Tim O'Brien, site director at Micron's Manassas facility, speaking in a media roundtable in June.
To expand its presence in the space, the company is investing in a global R&D center there.
Companies are eager to weave in smarter technology, and look toward memory improvements to advance capabilities. Autonomous vehicles require memory capacity to keep pace with algorithm's rapid calculations. Advancements require a streamlined manufacturing process, with consistency across products and a high quality bar.
To do that, companies reduce the human element in manufacturing.
Automated and ?"smart factory?" technology is the ?"next big revolution in manufacturing for improving quality, efficiency and cost,?" O'Brien said. It is ?"maybe the biggest revolution since robotics in terms of ability to really improve manufacturing.?"
The bones of a smart factory
Regardless of sector, companies are working to create more efficient manufacturing processes to support demand. Increasing margins is a happy side effect.
Whether it's referred to as a smart factory, digital factory or industry 4.0, factories are evolving toward ?"intelligent manufacturing,?" said Steve Phillpott, CIO of data storage company Western Digital Corp.
The movement centers around automation and analytics, Phillpott told CIO Dive:
- The automation roadmap has a whole stack of capabilities, from manufacturing execution systems to monitoring. It's executed in areas such as line control, process control and automatic robotic vehicles.
- The analytics pillar includes devices like audio or temperature sensors. The integration layer brings all the data together, allowing companies to conduct advanced statistical analysis, which can influence decision making and yield predictions.
When working in concert, automation and analytics create an effective orchestration of physical and digital devices.
continues at ciodive.com |
