Collaborative Smart Manufacturing with Process Operation Diagrams: A Case Study from Tec’s Smart Factory

This study highlights the importance of Process Operation Diagrams (POD) in facilitating collaboration between human operators and collaborative robots in Tecnológico de Monterrey’s “Smart Factory” for mechatronic engineering students. This collaboration optimizes operational efficiency and enhances workplace safety, with an average manufacturing cycle time of 10 minutes for a FrED device. The process showcases automation and interactions between robots and operators, fostering the development of technical skills and theoretical concepts for 96.5% of the students.