Three Trends of Smart Factory HMI

Cotton is one of the most important natural fibers in the world, used in everything from T-shirts and jeans to bed sheets and duvet covers. For the textile industry, cotton is like a key ingredient in a restaurant kitchen—its cost accounts for a significant portion of production, and its quality and price directly impact the final product. In recent years, fluctuations in cotton prices have forced textile and apparel manufacturers worldwide to closely monitor the market, as even small price changes can affect annual profits.

From the inception of a new drug to its market launch, the process demands astronomical investments, prolonged development timelines, and faces countless risks at every stage. For decades, pharmaceutical companies have struggled along this arduous path, with many promising drugs failing to reach patients. However, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is ushering in a transformative era, disrupting traditional drug development paradigms. AI not only streamlines R&D workflows but also reshapes the global landscape of capital and innovation competition.

When traditional manufacturing equipment transforms from cold mechanical tools into “real-time smart devices,” Edge AI is quietly sparking an industrial revolution. Without relying on distant cloud computing, this breakthrough technology enables machines to instantly detect anomalies and respond in real time, greatly boosting factory operation speed while achieving unprecedented stability and safety. As the global market experiences explosive growth, leading companies in Europe and the US are racing to enter the field, with Edge AI accelerating the manufacturing industry toward a new era of “smart real-time” operations!

The manufacturing revolution in the micro world is quietly sweeping across the globe! As the medical, electronics, and automotive industries rapidly increase their demand for high-precision micro components, the global micromanufacturing equipment market is experiencing unprecedented growth. From implantable medical devices to smart car sensors, these precision tools not only drive technological innovation but have also become key investment targets for major international corporations and governments. With the support of intelligent and automated technologies, the future of micromanufacturing will be faster and smarter, propelling the global manufacturing industry to new heights!

Modern smart factories often face challenges with scattered data and information silos. Although sensors, SCADA, MES, and other systems continuously generate vast amounts of data, the lack of integration makes it difficult to quickly identify the root causes of anomalies. Large language models (LLMs) are emerging as a key solution by enabling cross-system data retrieval and analysis through natural language queries. Acting as “semantic coordinators” within multi-agent manufacturing systems, LLMs can dynamically adjust production schedules and resource allocation in real time. The article references examples from Microsoft Azure AI, AWS, Schaeffler, and Siemens to demonstrate how LLMs help reduce downtime, increase transparency, and improve decision-making efficiency. Finally, it highlights that as LLMs integrate with automation and visualization technologies, manufacturing will enter the “semantic era,” where operators can access production line insights conversationally and instantly, driving smart manufacturing toward greater flexibility and intelligence.

This article discusses the impact of the U.S. increasing tariffs on Taiwanese machine tools, raising the rate from the original 4.4% to 20%. This sharp hike has significantly weakened Taiwan’s competitiveness in the U.S. market, with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) being particularly hard-hit. In response, the industry has called for relaxed subsidy requirements and efforts to expand into new markets. Meanwhile, the government has introduced relief programs to help businesses reduce their dependence on the U.S. Despite the challenges, industrial transformation and close cooperation with the government remain key to moving forward.

With plastic pollution becoming a central environmental concern, technological progress in recycling has emerged as a significant factor in shaping global plastic prices and the configuration of supply chains. In 2025, the evolution of chemical, mechanical, and digital recycling methods, alongside regulatory and market shifts, now interact in complex ways to influence the entire plastic value chain.

In the preparation of floors and foundations - where even minor deviations can have major consequences for machinery calibration, safety, or structural longevity - laser levelers have largely replaced traditional manual leveling methods, offering automation, speed, and pinpoint accuracy. Laser levelers - often referred to simply as laser levels - have become essential in a wide range of industries, from civil engineering and infrastructure projects to interior remodeling, equipment installation, and high-tech manufacturing.

The food processing industry is embracing automation and AI to boost efficiency, reduce errors, and ensure food safety. From material handling to packaging, smart systems enable stable operations, real-time monitoring, and data traceability—key to meeting market demands and securing global certifications. As more companies adopt AI and visual inspection technologies, the industry is entering a new era of data-driven, ESG-focused transformation.

The textile industry is one of Taiwan's major industries, covering a wide range from raw material procurement to end consumption. However, this large and complex supply chain has accumulated long-standing issues, such as unclear labor rights, environmental degradation, lack of transparency, and unclear product origins. As consumer demand for sustainable products increases, improving supply chain transparency and ensuring product quality has become a significant challenge.

The global rollout of 5G technology has been a catalyst for rethinking the materials used in next-generation devices. Unlike previous mobile generations, 5G relies heavily on millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies, which offer faster data speeds but are more vulnerable to interference. With escalating demands for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and thermal regulation in compact, high-frequency environments, advanced plastics are becoming the backbone of 5G infrastructure. Taiwan manufacturers are engineering high-performance polymers that meet the complex requirements of these modern telecommunications.

As the demand for high-performance computing, AI, and data-intensive applications grows, the need for efficient and thermally optimized memory solutions becomes paramount. As system-on-chip (SoC) architectures evolve and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) workloads surge, the need for efficient memory and reliable heat management is more critical than ever. Recent breakthroughs in flash and DRAM technologies are not only enhancing performance but also addressing critical heat management challenges. Taiwan, a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing, is at the forefront of these innovations.