The so-called MES (Manufacturing Execution System) is a production information management system designed for the execution layer of manufacturing enterprises within smart factories. Today, MES has become a core component of smart factory operations and serves as its information hub.

First and foremost, the equipment monitoring system of a smart factory must possess superior network transmission capabilities, enabling networked monitoring across both local area networks and the internet. This ensures that factories located in different geographical areas can achieve unified monitoring and centralized management.

Alpine System Integration (Dalian) Co., Ltd. (referred to as "ALSI") has developed an intelligent maintenance system to support factories in building smart manufacturing facilities. This system enables predictive equipment maintenance through scientific and technological approaches, allowing for proactive forecasting of equipment needs.

Given the intrinsic link between smart factory development and networking, enterprises must establish an integrated factory networking environment prior to implementation, while simultaneously addressing interoperability challenges across devices utilizing diverse communication protocols.

For manufacturing enterprises, prior to establishing a smart factory, the foremost step is to build a factory network to enable the automated issuance of production instructions and the automatic collection of production line data.

Intelligent equipment primarily encompasses three key aspects: firstly, intelligent production machinery; secondly, intelligent inspection devices; and thirdly, intelligent logistics systems.

The smart production lines in a smart factory mainly collect data in three areas: production data, product quality data, and equipment OEE data.

A prevalent cause is the market disorder surrounding current smart factory solutions, which often suffer from cumbersome operations, inaccurate data, and poor practical implementability during real-world deployment.

Manufacturers, when selecting smart‑factory solutions, need only adhere to three principles—cost efficiency, exceptional compatibility, and robust deployability—to avoid any significant issues.

First, reinforce the enterprise’s internal digital infrastructure, establishing a solid foundation for future transformation. Second, identify high cost‑performance smart‑factory solutions that enable transformation with the minimal capital outlay.