The smart production laboratory: A learning factory for industry 4.0 concepts

The manufacturing industry is moving "digital" and the changes re-quired are numerous and extensive. In general, there is a lack of understanding of how new technologies are beneficial to the manufacturing industry. This trans-formation, also known as the 4th industrial revolution or Industry 4.0, created the need of a research platform that could enable practitioners and academia collab-oration on new technologies. Aalborg University developed a Learning Factory that is a facility equipped with machines, materials and tools established to sup-port research projects. This paper presents Aalborg University's "small Industry 4.0 factory" and its contribution to Industry 4.0 research by creating a platform for developing technologies to satisfy manufacturing requirements and by demonstrating their value in a production environment. The Leaning Factory is contributing to research by enabling the development of manufacturing technol-ogy. At the same time, it is providing practitioners with a platform for solving industrial problems.