The CTC Mini-Factory concept: reflections on the business scenarios
The CTC minifactory has been conceived as a factory in the shop, enabling the customer to see and perceive product realization during product customization phase. The location of the mini-factory has been initially identified within a shopping mall, with a single related shop where the customer can go and select his own custom made product. The ongoing analysis of possible exploitation scenarios let to the identification of few other business cases the mini-factory could be integrated in: Do It Yourself Centers and ‘Shared’ Mini Factory. The first alternative scenario foresees the Mini-factory as evolution of cut services inside brico centers or supporting factory outlets. In the second case, a single mini-factory is meant to support different shops in the same area.
The CTC Miny Factory: the production system
Beyond the work done in the CTC project to define a clear reference framework supporting the definition of the CTC Mini-Factory concept, the actual behavior of the mini-factory has been deeply analyzed, from production system perspective to supply chain requirements. Starting from the results of each WP, the reference framework has been updated and transformed in the factory vision modeled in the following picture. The scenario described is a factory within a shopping mall, where the customer can enter shop, next to his favorite supermarket and customize his own furniture piece. Behind a glass pane two operators are working on a single, compact and flexible CNC machine, performing all the operations required to realize flat pack furniture. A short supply chain, relying on customized contracts with raw material providers support the realization of each furniture piece.
