This New GE Factory Is a Blueprint for the Future of Manufacturing

GE Factory

 

September 01 2016

Welland has been known for decades at the city where rails meet the water. But the Canadian transportation hub, long known for a canal that linked Lake Ontario and Lake Erie with a cluster of railways, may soon redefine how things are made in North America. That’s because GE broke ground last month on a brand new “brilliant” factory in the city, located just across the Canadian border from Buffalo.

The brilliant factory is GE’s new take on how we make things. It involves machines embedded with sensors and connected to the Industrial Internet. The factory uses GE’s Predix software platform to stream data (over secure Industrial Internet links) into the cloud for analysis. Insights are then sent back to engineers with suggestions to improve operations. The divide between the lab and the factory also disappears in this approach, allowing for faster prototyping and commercialization of parts, according to Stephan Biller, chief manufacturing scientist at GE Global Research.

Biller is one of the big brains behind the concept. He’s developing ways to use data and analytics to transform factories into places that constantly improve their operations and output. As a result, Biller says, factories no longer need to be located where labour is cheap but can bloom where educated workers can make the most out of advanced technology. “By utilizing automation and the brilliant factory concepts, we are strengthening the base of North American manufacturing and equalizing the region’s ability to compete with countries where labour costs are cheaper,” Biller says.

Welland makes a big point in his case. The city is located in Ontario, where the manufacturing sector has been hit hard in recent years. It lost some 300,000 jobs between 2000 and 2014, according to a 2014 report by the Mowat Centre at the University of Toronto’s School of Public Policy and Governance. The report says that Canada can bring back jobs by supporting research, educating workers and committing to boost productivity.

GE says the new factory, which will make massive gas engines and other components for GE businesses, will employ 220 highly skilled workers. Data and analytics will give them insights to improve quality output and increase profits, Biller says. The new approach will also shorten supply chains and reduce inventories.
GE plans to complete the Welland plant in 20 months. Elyse Allan, president and chief executive of GE Canada, said support from Canada’s export credit agency, Export Development Canada was key to the decision to build in Welland.

GE’s US$165 million investment in Welland follows its recent plans to build similar factories in the U.S. In Greenville, South Carolina, GE Power opened Advanced Manufacturing Works last spring. In April, GE also opened the Center for Additive Technology Advancement in Pittsburgh, to help take “additive” manufacturing methods, such as 3D printing, reach mainstream.

 

Related Articles


Latest Articles


Changing Scene

  • Skills Ontario Supports Ontario’s Investments in Skilled Trades in Budget Announcement

    Skills Ontario Supports Ontario’s Investments in Skilled Trades in Budget Announcement

    March 28. 2024 As demand for skilled trades professionals rises, Skills Ontario is commending the government for continued investments in skilled trades and technology programing, working to address the shortfall and need to build the workforce of the future in Ontario.  The skilled trades shortage is costing Ontario approximately $25 billion in foregone GDP. A… Read More…

  • IVRY Launches 7 New VR Lessons

    IVRY Launches 7 New VR Lessons

     IVRY Technologies, a division of IDEAL Electrical, is launching seven new virtual reality (VR) lessons in Canada as part of its Virtual Electrical Training (VET) Series 2 training module. The cutting-edge training will serve as a learning resource for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) training centers across Canada. Read More…

  • PEI Budget 2024 Signals Continued Focus on Healthcare, Housing and Affordability for all Islanders 

    PEI Budget 2024 Signals Continued Focus on Healthcare, Housing and Affordability for all Islanders 

    March 28, 2024 Hon. Jill Burridge, Minister of Finance, presented government’s 2024-25 operating budget to the legislative assembly, outlining $3.2 billion in investments for Prince Edward Island with a continued focus on healthcare, housing and affordability measures. “This budget signals where we’re headed as a province and shows Islanders where we will be making key… Read More…

  • BC’s Budget 2024 Prioritizes Actions for Low-Carbon Economy

    BC’s Budget 2024 Prioritizes Actions for Low-Carbon Economy

    March 28, 2024 Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, and Brittny Anderson, MLA for Nelson-Creston, met with community climate leaders in Nelson to discuss how Budget 2024 can help support people in the region to transition to a low-carbon economy and meet shared CleanBC goals. “Our government’s budget this year reflects the… Read More…