Redesign of the Workplace for Toolmakers Towards Industry 4.0

Abstract

This chapter presents a workspace redesign of a toolmaker position in a tooling industry towards Industry 4.0. In general, the theory is lacking studies that would pinpoint concrete methodology to present the redesign of a company specific workplace in a way that would follow guidelines of the Industry 4.0 systematically. In this research, the authors have primarily focused on a digital readiness and identification of potential areas and tasks suitable for the implementation of enabling technologies. Collected data are based on the case study conducted in a tooling company. The result is a procedure to generate a systematic approach, a roadmap, towards Industry 4.0. To achieve the redesign of toolmaker's workplace, the authors combined the AS-IS state analysis and use Toolbox Industry 4.0. The effects of a redesigned process manifest in reduced laborious, repetitive manual work, errors, and toolmaker workload.