Samsung opens its doors: this is how humans and mechanical arms coexist

Entertainment and machines

From a distance, the plant can be distinguished by the large brand sign on the white background of one of its buildings and a cloud of steam emanating from another. Upon reaching the main entrance, one discovers that the factory does not only house offices and production lines. To welcome one, there is a showroom in which some of the appliances produced there are displayed, around seven refrigerators, washing machines and dryers from its latest lines.

There is also a cinema where they organize movie nights for the workers and their families or use it as a forum for discussions. On one side is the canteen where approximately 2,800 meals are served daily and, of course, there are Korean dishes.

In these areas, it is clear that the building has been in operation for 15 years, as shown by the colours on the walls, the checkered ceiling and the old-fashioned floor, but on the assembly line it is a different story.

The company prides itself on optimizing its processes and focusing on “high-tech” production. “The (Querétaro) unit plays a crucial role in Samsung’s goal of democratizing artificial intelligence with AI for everyone,” said Jin Kong.

As soon as you cross the arches into the production halls, the noise of the machinery fills the place, you can see the mechanical arms lifting in a synchronized manner the metal shells that will become household appliances. The employees are uniformed and some wear special static suits, but as a visitor you only need to follow the safety instructions.

Everywhere you turn there are conveyor belts. They carry the skeleton of the articles, they join them to the mechanical bodies, if necessary the parts are welded but there are others that are pressed in.

Robots of different sizes move around the corridors, moving pieces from one side to the other. They are accompanied by a melody so that employees – and careless people outside the space – can hear them and make way; but if this doesn’t happen, they don’t run over people, they stop in front of the obstacle and don’t stop ringing until they get their attention.

To increase production, the plant has replaced human labor with automated guided vehicles (AGV), high-precision industrial robots, and quality control tools, such as cameras that help correct the position of parts, identify materials, colors, and even a room equipped with AI that takes readings of the noise made by washing machines.

In the case of refrigerators, more than 50% of the line is automated, while for washing machines and dryers it is above 40%.

There is also a focus on manufacturing efficient and intelligent household appliances, meaning that machines already equipped with AI for their functions also manufacture appliances using these principles. Refrigerators, for example, use vacuum-insulated panels, which have improved their energy efficiency by approximately 20%.

Another way to combine technology with energy optimization is by connecting appliances to the SmartThings platform, which is the company’s app that allows you to control them from your cell phone. Most of the products manufactured in Querétaro have this technology.