Fujitsu today announced that it has systematized its support services for increasing the competitiveness of manufacturers in Japan, and this is to be available on a platform known as Fujitsu Manufacturing Industry Solution COLMINA, a place for connecting all kinds of digital manufacturing information, from design to production and maintenance.

COLMINA links data on the location of people and products, on factory equipment, and all systems and know-how throughout the manufacturing process, as well as data among companies in the supply chain.

As the services underlying this solution, there is the Fujitsu Manufacturing Industry Solution COLMINA Service, a suite of a variety of operational services for manufacturing, the Fujitsu Manufacturing Industry Solution COLMINA Edge, which collects and processes sensor data, such as on equipment operations, the vital signs of people, and the location of products, and the Fujitsu Manufacturing Industry Solution COLMINA Platform, which brings together the COLMINA Service and the COLMINA Edge. Sales will begin in Japan in phases starting in July 2017.

Going forward, Fujitsu will offer standard interfaces between the COLMINA Platform and other companies' solutions and platforms.

Because this enables data on everything from design to production to be linked throughout the entire supply chain, it will facilitate the digital transformation of all manufacturing work.

It also helps manufacturing companies share their skilled workers' knowledge relating to design, production, and maintenance, as well as identify talented workers and match them to appropriate positions, and promote collaboration and co-creation with other companies.

COLMINA will be exhibited at Fujitsu Forum 2017, to be held May 18-19 at Tokyo International Forum.

COLMINA links data on the location of people and products, on factory equipment, and all systems and know-how throughout the manufacturing process, as well as data among companies in the supply chain.

Background

Amid a rapidly changing market environment, with a diversification of customer needs, many companies are using digital technologies, such as IoT and AI, to work on digital transformation initiatives in order to generate innovation and strengthen their competitiveness.

In manufacturing, with the advance of the fourth industrial revolution, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and Germany's Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in March 2017 signed a joint statement, the "Hannover Declaration," on cooperation in IoT / Industrie 4.0 initiatives. METI also announced its "Connected Industries(2)" policy concept to create its vision of a "Society 5.0(1)" super-smart society.

Over many years, Fujitsu has been raising the efficiency of its operations through "virtual manufacturing," which makes use of its manufacturing experience and simulations. Incorporating this manufacturing expertise, COLMINA seeks to be a manufacturing platform that will also bring about a Society 5.0 super-smart society.