Manufacturing in Silicon Valley: Asteelflash Makes its Factory Smart

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When talking about Silicon Valley, most people usually think about Apple, Google, Facebook, startups and new technologies. But it has also been the seedbed of innovation for advanced electronic manufacturing industry.

That's why Asteelflash is now implementing a pilot program at its Fremont, California facility targeted towards the Smart Factory. First is through automation, with the installation of collaborative robots and connected equipment to bring real time data. Second, through a proprietary revolutionary supply chain platform combining artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Part of a global initiative across the 18 locations of the group, it will change the way products are currently being built, increasing productivity and ultimately strengthening its customers' competitiveness.

By making automation a strategic initiative, Asteelflash strives to improve the processes to enhance productivity, but also to develop the teams working collaboratively on more advanced projects, moving away from the idea of manufacturing as a simple execution rather than a sequence of smart and optimized processes.

Albert Yanez Sr., corporate executive VP of Asteelflash Group and president of Asteelflash Americas, says, "Fremont facility is definitively a strategic location. We want to be as close as possible from the Silicon Valley to stay at the edge of the innovation and bring our customer the best solution to their needs. The Smart Factory initiative is definitively a way to provide a better service to our customers but also to rationalize our processes and build intelligence around it."

This is currently the most aggressive era in terms of innovation, from advanced manufacturing to machine learning, AI and the Internet of Things (IoT). Being located in Silicon Valley is definitely a strategic and competitive advantage when bringing a new product to market.