Seagate applies AI to transform drive manufacturing through Dream Factory initiative.

In 2015, Seagate partnered with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) as part of the Dream Factory initiative, which is aiming to transform the hard drive industry through smart manufacturing solutions. With Singapore government’s support, the initiative focused on designing, developing, and implementing a fully automated hard drive factory. Seagate aimed to equip its hard drive manufacturing facilities with advanced process intelligence and use AI, machine learning, big data analytics, mobile solutions, cloud software as a service (SaaS), and industrial internet of things (IIoT) technologies.

Integrating advanced solutions like IoT, AI, and cloud systems into legacy manufacturing infrastructure posed challenges for the workforce. Seagate’s Singapore international headquarters trained employees on new skills, addressing any workforce skills gaps, and helping to enhance confidence in their performance. These inhouse training programs will continue, as they are a vital part of Seagate’s operational transformation.

Singapore has a history of assisting future-minded industries through state-sponsored initiatives such as the Singapore EDB. Seagate, now in its fourth decade of providing data storage solutions to global customers, has a tradition of integrating the latest technologies into its manufacturing and operations. The combination of these efforts resulted in Seagate’s Dream Factory, where the latest technologies are evaluated and propagated.

Seagate uses AI throughout its Singapore Dream Factory, from initial discovery and testing to its manufacturing lines.

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Seagate uses AI throughout its Singapore Dream Factory, from initial discovery and testing to its manufacturing lines.

Seagate executives tasked the company’s Dream Factory core team—which includes members of the Factory IT, equipment design, R&D, test engineering, and product performance engineering teams—with discovering, testing, and rolling out new Industry 4.0 solutions for global manufacturing facilities. Seagate data storage devices, including hard drives and solid-state drives (SSDs), are also integral parts of our customers’ AI solutions.

It made sense for Seagate to not only enable AI but also benefit from it in its own manufacturing facilities. For the Singapore Dream Factory initiative, the company aimed to include AI and process intelligence-related breakthroughs within its new automated factory.

Introducing AI into Seagate's Singapore Dream Factory has resulted in significant speed and cost-based savings in hard drive production.

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Introducing AI into Seagate's Singapore Dream Factory has resulted in significant speed and cost-based savings in hard drive production.

Before launching the Dream Factory initiative in Seagate’s drive manufacturing locations, the team faced three major challenges. First, aligning stakeholders and justifying significant upfront investments in smart technologies and infrastructure required a clear vision and strong business case. Second, integrating advanced solutions like IoT, AI, and cloud systems into legacy manufacturing infrastructure posed difficulties, with fragmented data systems requiring extensive cleaning and integration efforts. Third, to adopt new technologies, the team needed to address the workforce skills gap and manage change. Tackling these challenges was vital for a successful transformation.

Seagate’s Dream Factory leverages IIoT technology, smart automation, and real-time decision-making capabilities. It has implemented hundreds of smart automation improvements, including smart controllers, components, conveyors, and assembly line automation. In addition, the factory has embraced big data analytics for improving efficiency. Seagate migrated its manufacturing execution system (MES) to the cloud, enabling a flexible SaaS model.

These advancements contributed to the redeployment of approximately 1,000 direct employees into more strategic roles. Big data analytics have enhanced the efficiency of factory data analysis by 70%. The new platform operates over 100 times faster than traditional systems, providing real-time visibility, reducing quality escalations by 80%, and lowering defective parts per million (DPPM) by 45%. The AI-powered test time optimization yielded $12 million in cost savings for a single ultra-thin, light, high-density, mobile hard drive product line.

The transition has significantly improved scalability, allowing the company to set up a new satellite factory site within two weeks, compared to the previous three-to-six-month timeframe. The introduction of a business mobile concept to factory operations has reduced inspection turnaround time by 80%. It has also led to successful implementation across four Seagate factories, with engagement from over 2,000 users and collaboration with more than 80 suppliers. 

Through the Dream Factory initiative, Seagate continues to lead the way in upgrading its equipment and processes towards Industry 4.0, positioning itself as a pioneer in the smart manufacturing landscape.