Mass customization and individual manufacturing: a smart combination
The trend toward individualization in production has grown in popularity since the advent of Industry 4.0. Mass customization creates an intelligent link between mass production and individual manufacturing. The goal is to manufacture products in large quantities that are tailored to the specific requirements of individual customers efficiently and scalably.
For a long time, conflicting manufacturing principles prevailed. On the one hand, the main focus was on volume and large-scale production. Traditional mass production relies on highly automated processes and standardized components. Scaling reduces the cost of the end product. However, this concept is designed for high volumes, so deviations from the standard are hardly possible.
Batch size 1 at series production prices: how mass customization is redefining manufacturing
In contrast, customer-specific production of small series or individual items was possible, but at significantly higher costs than mass production. Individual production allows for the optimal implementation of special requirements. However, this customization requires more effort. Due to the lack of standardization, the effects of automation, scale, and the experience curve are less pronounced. Mass customization combines these opposing principles into a new concept: custom products produced in small batches at costs similar to those of mass production.
Soft versus hard customization: paths to individualized manufacturing
The principle of mass customization distinguishes between soft and hard customization.
With soft customization, individual customer requirements are considered from the beginning, though no customization occurs in the manufacturing process itself. Examples include options to adapt or customize the product after purchase, such as software or hardware components. Manufacturers often offer these adaptations as supplementary services.
In hard customization, customer requirements are considered during the manufacturing process, resulting in customized end products. There are different levels of customization. In the first stage, only certain value-adding steps are customized, such as assembly, while others remain standardized. One common model is modularization based on a building-block principle. Combinable modules are used to create a customized product. For instance, customers can select different assemblies for machine tools, which are assembled into a customized product during production.
Mass-produced unique items: the highest level of mass customization
The highest level, which has rarely been achieved to date, is mass-capable single-piece production. Unique items can be produced efficiently in large quantities. At the heart of this process are digital twins of products and processes that interact with dynamically virtualized value chains. As virtual representations of real machines and processes, digital twins enable simulations that optimize and customize production processes, a decisive factor for successful mass customization. This makes the creation of each "unique item" transparent, planable, and optimizable for individualized service provision. Interoperability of all systems involved is a prerequisite for this form of individualized series production. Only then can processes, from ordering raw materials to final assembly and shipping, be fully networked, automated, and designed for end-to-end efficiency.
Mass Customization in the smart factory
In particular, the final stage of hard customization still poses a major challenge to underlying manufacturing processes in industry. These existing barriers can be overcome by combining new digitization and automation technologies.
People, machines, and robots are connected so that factories and their processes can be planned virtually and controlled optimally. This allows for flexible automation and economies of scale despite a high degree of customization. In the smart factory, products are manufactured according to the mass production principle, yet are customized for individual customers.
Industrial IoT and digitalization as foundation of smart manufacturing
Data-centric cloud platforms, such as PRODUCTION PLANNING & CONTROL, are essential for end-to-end connectivity because they ensure a continuous flow of data. Therefore, the mass customization approach is closely linked to industrial digitalization and the Industry 4.0 vision. Manufacturing "batch size 1" at mass production costs is one example of how traditional principles can change and former contradictions can be resolved. These new technological possibilities will increasingly find their way into more areas of life and the economy. Artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analytics will play a central role in this by analyzing large amounts of data from networked machines and further optimizing production processes.
DMG MORI is at the forefront of industrial digitalization
DMG MORI is a reliable partner for companies entering the world of mass customization, offering flexible, automatable machine tools and comprehensive digitalization solutions for intelligent manufacturing. DMG MORI Connectivity allows the adaptive manufacturing cells and integrated systems for single-part production to be seamlessly integrated into digital process chains.
DMG MORI as a pioneer: the future of manufacturing in the monoBLOCK excellence factory
DMG MORI applies its expertise in automation and digitalization to its own factories as a pioneer. The monoBLOCK Excellence Factory in Pfronten demonstrates what tomorrow's production could look like. The site is geared toward manufacturing of the future with modern automation and digitalization solutions. In 34 cycles — from basic assembly to geometry and final inspection — the entire monoBLOCK series model mix is produced in flow assembly, including variants with a pallet changer (DMC) and a milling-turning table (FD).
