May-Jul 2021 “Hong Kong Industrialist”

疫 情席捲全球，各行業陷入前所未有困 局，然而同時加速了科技發展。開發 智能生產線、以高端製造去提升效能和競 爭力，成為企業突破逆境、創新經濟的路 向。香港生產力促進局（生產力局）致力推 動香港「再工業化」，協助企業轉向高增值 智能製造，務求為工業發展注入尖端科技創 造價值。隨著生產力局為NiRoTech Limited (NiRoTech) 打造的「貓頭鷹」智能生產線日 前已正式啟用，香港已進入「再工業化」新 世代。 I ndustries have been suffering a blow from the COVID-19 sweeping across the world, yet it gives a boost to technology development. Building intelligent production lines to achieve high-end manufacturing for enhancement in efficiency and competitiveness is a way out for enterprises to stay afloat in adversity and create a new economy. Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) is committed to driving “reindustrialisation” in Hong Kong, helping enterprises transform towards high value-added intelligent manufacturing and inject cutting-edge technologies into industries for value creation, thereby building a “smarter era of intelligent manufacturing”. The “OWL” intelligent production line deployed at NiRoTech Limited (NiRoTech), an intelligent security product manufacturer, is a showcase of Hong Kong entering into the “reindustrialisation” era. 與不少廠商一樣，智能保安產品製造商 NiRoTech在內地的代工廠面臨土地和人力 成本上漲等問題，遂決定伸延至香港以科技 優化生產。在創新及科技局大力支持、創新 科技署「投資研發現金回贈計劃」資助的推 動下，生產力局技術團隊用了兩年時間，為 該公司位於元朗的廠房度身研製機械人生產 團隊，命名為「貓頭鷹」智能生產線，一手包 辦技術研發、設計、規劃，以至機器組裝及 調試，並已於去年11月投產。生產線裝置了 12部機械人，並配備客制化研製的機電自動 化裝置，充份應用包括物聯網，實時監測、 機器視覺、人工智能、數據分析等技術，實 現智能製造和「再工業化」。 生產力局技術團隊在設計智能生產線上 花了不少巧思，加入工業4.0精益生產的原 則，以U型生產線，用盡廠房空間兼提升生 產效 率 ，使這條「貓頭鷹」智能生產線發揮五 大SMART優勢，包括提升速度（Speed）— 以專利技術改善工序，提升生產速度；靈活 多功（Multi-function）— 自主研發技術可自 動取放柔軟物料；高度精準（Accuracy）— 插件精準度提升至99.7%，提升品質和 大大減少次品造成的浪費；高可靠性 （Reliability）—相比人手，採用「選擇性焊接」 HKPC’s technical team skillfully designed the intelligent production line, adopting a U-shape compact layout and incorporating the beauty of the “Industry 4.0 (i4.0)” lean manufacturing “vision”. Not only does it significantly reduce the factory area being used and enhance productivity, it also gives into full play the five SMART advantages of the “OWL” intelligent production line. They include Speed – using patent technologies to improve procedures and increase production speed; Multi- function – self-developed proprietary technologies enable automatic selection and placings of soft materials; Accuracy – component insert reaches 99.7%, enhances product quality and slashes defective product waste; Reliability – compared to manual operation, the adoption of “selective soldering” significantly elevates soldering quality; and Traceability – achieves digitialised production and facilitates big data analytics. In truth, NiRoTech’s smart factory only occupies 10,000 square feet, saving 50% of the land with the overall production capacity increasing by 1.5 times. Only 11 staff are now deployed in Hong Kong’s factory. Around 60% Like many other manufacturers, NiRoTech’s factory in Mainland China faces the problems with surging land and labour costs. It then decided to extend part of its manufacturing lines to Hong Kong leveraging on technologies to optimise production. Gaining support from the Innovation and Technology Bureau (ITB) and funding from the R&D Cash Rebate Scheme of the Innovation Technology Commission (ITC) of the HKSAR Government, HKPC’s technical team took two years to tailor-make a bespoke robotic production line for the company’s factory in Yuen Long, named “OWL” intelligent production line. With HKPC’s assistance in critical processes of technology R&D, design, planning, machinery assembly, adjustment and testing, the production line commenced operation in November last year. Equipped with 12 robots and a large amount of customised intelligent automation systems, the production line makes full use of digital technologies, like Internet of Things (IoT), real-time monitoring, machine vision, artificial intelligence, data analytics, etc., to achieve smart manufacturing and “reindustrialisation”. 5-7/2021 | 43