New methodology for smart manufacturing research and education: The lab approach

Different innovative technologies are nowadays emerging, pushing the research and education to think on new needs on the topic of smart manufacturing. Indeed, for research institutions and universities, it is important to address this context in the best possible way, as it represents a relevant opportunity to renew the research and educational approach: the availability of a physical environment fits with this issue, making a laboratory as a key element in order to carry out leading edge research and education activities. Different laboratory initiatives have been developed all around the world and they represent good examples of how new approaches to research on smart manufacturing are emerging. Thus, after presenting some of these initiatives, this paper focuses on the new proposal of Politecnico di Milano for the "Factory of the Future Lab" (i.e. FoFLab), promoted by the research activity of the Manufacturing Group of the Department of Economics, Management and Industrial Engineering. Research and education functions of the Laboratory are presented, as well as its physical characteristics and main design specifications.