Application of sustainable smart manufacturing technologies and toolkits in the automotive industry

A more rapid development of smart manufacturing system (SMS) within the automotive industry will significantly promote its competitiveness which is essential to the economic sustainable development of South Africa. From recent research studies, the automotive sector contributes over 7% to the annual gross domestic product (GDP) of South Africa and its sustainability is important to the segment through SMS. Thus, the SMS deserves greater focus from the Government and the industry. Smart manufacturing technology utilises machines and tools which are interconnected for the improvement of manufacturing system and energy optimization. The benefits of SMS include cost reduction, increased productivity, product customization, resources efficiency, and minimization of negative environmental impacts. Globally, the automotive industry puts significant emphasis on SMS, considering the on-going substantial initiatives. In order to achieve SMS, ultramodern technologies in different areas, varying from Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), smart sensors, complex and large data analytics, Internet of things (IoT), cloud manufacturing, and to additive manufacturing, energy reduction, and hologram, are being established and employed in manufacturing locations. Therefore, this study is aimed at technologies and toolkits development that will increase the implementation and responsiveness of SMS among automotive manufacturers and supports decision-makers in planning better Smart Manufacturing Systems capabilities.