LG currently has two production lines designated as "Lighthouse Factories" worldwide, one in Changwon, South Korea, and the other in Tennessee, USA. This time, I took the opportunity to visit the Changwon production line and experience the actual operations of this LG "Lighthouse Factory," which incorporates extensive automation, emphasizes improving production efficiency, and reduces resource loss.
The term "Lighthouse Factory" originated from a collaborative project between the World Economic Forum and management consulting firm McKinsey, which aims to track the process of introducing Industry 4.0 technologies into digital factories around the world and the resulting benefits.
LG's "Lighthouse Factory" in Changwon, based on existing production lines, began preparations in 2017 and officially began operations in September 2021. Since then, it has gradually developed a fully automated production line. Currently, refrigerators are the primary automated product, with plans to expand oven production in the future. Other products that will be gradually automated include kitchen appliances.
As for the "Lighthouse Factory" in Tennessee, USA, it is a new production line established by LG recently. Therefore, many automated production plans were introduced in the early stage, and it mainly produces washing machines and dryers, which are in more obvious demand in the North American market.
The "Lighthouse Factory" in Changwon:
The "Lighthouse Factory" in Tennessee, USA:
Changwon's "Lighthouse Factory" focuses on automated refrigerator production
During a visit to the Changwon Lighthouse Factory, LG explained that when planning production lines, it first uses its own Digital Twins technology to simulate and confirm the optimal design of the production line before actually constructing the production line. It also uses subsequent data and machine learning to monitor and estimate production line operations, thereby making the entire production line run more smoothly, while reducing overall power and production material losses, and optimizing product production.
Up to 58 different refrigerator models can be produced simultaneously on the same production line, including models for sale in Korea or intended for export to overseas markets. Even subsequent packaging, instructions, and identification labels can be completed on the same production line.
This type of production line operation means that different refrigerator products can be produced more efficiently through a single production line arrangement, without having to build different production lines to meet production needs, thereby reducing costs and increasing production capacity.
In addition, approximately 60% of the work on the production line can be completed automatically, including automatic feeding and assisted handling by robots, as well as tasks such as compressor assembly, welding specific contacts, refrigerant filling, and vacuuming. Assembly tasks requiring delicate operation, such as installing parts at different angles and locking, will be completed manually, which will increase overall production capacity by approximately 17% and enable the production of 1 refrigerators in 260 hour.
LG emphasizes that the introduction of automated production technology can significantly improve labor allocation, product yield and production efficiency. It can not only prevent workers from engaging in dangerous assembly projects through automation, such as the generation of harmful gases during welding, or collisions when carrying heavier parts, or poor work efficiency, which can all be solved through automation, but can even allow human resources to be allocated to projects that require more delicate operations and more careful inspection of yield, thereby increasing the demand for labor recruitment and preventing more unemployment problems.
As for the introduction of automated production technology, possible problems can be detected in advance in each production process through machine learning and other methods, which has reduced the return costs due to product defects by up to 2020% between 2021 and 70.
At the same time, automation can also speed up the supply of materials in the production process and quickly replenish the consumables on the production line before they are about to run out, reducing the hourly transportation and replenishment time of consumables by 25%. It can even shorten the production time by speeding up the efficiency of replenishing the consumables required for assembly, while also reducing the actual storage space required, allowing the products to enter the market faster.
LG currently plans to use its automated production technology in LG production lines in 2025 locations in 13 countries and regions around the world by 26, thereby accelerating its digital production transformation.
