SMART FACTORY by KOMAX - From the vision to reality

Matijas Meyer, what is meant by the SMART FACTORY by KOMAX?
With the SMART FACTORY by KOMAX, we are pursuing the goal of raising the productivity and flexibility of wire processing to new heights. Our customers have to deliver consistently high quality and reliability despite rising complexity and higher personnel expenses, while at the same time keeping costs as low as possible. Moreover, they are facing enormous fluctuations in demand. With the SMART FACTORY by KOMAX, we support them in meeting these growing demands.

Can you be more specific?
SMART FACTORY by KOMAX is characterized by five components: No operator influence, self-optimizing factory, self-service boutique, on-demand service, and real-time quality audits. For each component, we pursue specific goals and offer our customers various competitive advantages.

What can be expected from no operator influence, for example?
We aim to develop fully automated, networked solutions in order to minimize the influence of the people operating them. For our customers, this means a reduction in personnel costs and dependency on labor. It also improves productivity and transparency, and most importantly, maintains a consistently high level of quality.

How much of this is vision and how much is already reality?
Reducing operator influence is a process that we are continuously driving forward with the development of new solutions. We have long since arrived at this reality and offer our customers revolutionary products. For example, we have developed IQC technology - an intelligent, fully automatic tool changeover system for the crimp-to-crimp machines of the Alpha series. The system executes the material change in less than a minute – rather than the standard 15 minutes by hand – while at the same time selecting all the key settings autonomously. This prevents incorrect handling and guarantees maximum precision and process quality, resulting in up to 50 percent higher productivity for the customer.

When will no operator influence be the standard?
In addition to the products we already offer today and which eliminate the influence of operators by default, the aforementioned fully automatic tool changeover system is just one of many elements that we will develop in the coming years to steadily reduce the operator influence in our customers’ plants. In 2024, for example, we were able to further develop IQC technology in this area. Thanks to open interfaces and a modular platform concept, we can offer our customers a scalable production concept that is precisely tailored to their requirements. However, there is still further potential in this area. In the next few years, the decreasing operator influence will become even more noticeable and will be reflected in our product portfolio.

What are the other components about?
We have taken various implementation steps in all areas of the SMART FACTORY by KOMAX. However, each component is at a different stage of development. With the self-optimizing factory, for example, we are pursuing the goal of analyzing and improving production processes in order to increase productivity and reduce quality costs at the same time. In addition to MES solutions such as 4WIRE CAO and 4WIRE Px, the Komax Group offers WIRE Insights, for example. This cloud-based solution provides our customers with comprehensive production data on their machines in real time, enabling immediate optimization and massively reducing scrap rates in production. In 2026, we will also be able to present the WIRE Flow software in the Cut & Strip area based on a subscription model. At first for the Schleuniger E-series cut & strip machines. At productronica in Munich in November, we will be demonstrating in real time how Wire Flow works, and which advantages the software offers.

With which additional solutions does the SMART FACTORY by KOMAX support customers?
With our CARE Services, we can already offer our customers a variety of on-demand services that can be purchased according to their individual needs. These include warranties, repairs, installations, updates and support with production optimization, but also financing and leasing services as well as the provision of production capacities, for example to break production peaks. This enables customers to reduce their capital requirements and increase their flexibility, stability and responsiveness. The Komax Group offers solutions for all areas associated with the global megatrend of electrification - such as mobility, infrastructure, industry and artificial intelligence. With the WIRE Master from WUSTEC, for example, cabinet and machine builders can conveniently order prefabricated wire sets in any quantity online via a digital platform.