CHECKINGIN
Shining a Light on Dark Factories
Vol. 45, No. 10 October 2025 THE MAGAZINE FOR DEMAND-DRIVEN ENTERPRISES www.inboundlogistics.com
STAFF
Keith G. Biondo publisher@inboundlogistics.com Felecia J. Stratton editor@inboundlogistics.com Katrina C. Arabe karabe@inboundlogistics.com
PUBLISHER
A manufacturing revolution is underway in factories around the world. “Lights-out” manufacturing is nally being realized in a few highly automated and roboticized locations. This dramatic shift—also known as the “dark factory”—is the ultimate objective of industrial automation: a factory so automated that it requires little or no human presence. Humans need the lights, machines don’t.
EDITOR
SENIOR EDITOR
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC CONTENT
Amy Roach amy.roach@thomasnet.com
Tom Gresham Karen M. Kroll Rich Osborne
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Keith Biondo, Publisher
“Dark factories” are gaining traction due to several macro factors: • Global labor shortages • Rising human resource costs • Falling advanced automation costs • Resurgence in state-of-the-art domestic manufacturing • AI’s in uence in perfecting supply chain ows These trends are driving the move toward unattended manufacturing, promising signi cant cost and operational bene ts, and fewer errors. While very few of these facilities are entirely free of human workers—fully lights- out—many utilize partial automation, with skilled workers still overseeing production shifts. Micro factors play an important role too, speci cally a robust and mature digital transformation strategy that includes several indispensable elements. First is standardization of all processes to ensure consistency in robot/cobot and manufacturing machine programming. Second is communication, as 5G or 6G tone underpins the connections between on-site automation and cloud supply chain solutions and data. Lights-out relies on AI and ML systems that drive autonomous decision making, predict maintenance requirements, and empower adaptive factory optimization as time goes on. Machine vision systems handle quality control automation, which—wait for it—does need lights to operate, but uses specialized lighting rather than standard facility lights. Specialized lighting systems create the contrast needed for cameras to capture clear images of an object. Without proper illumination, defects or errors are not visible. Twenty years ago, IBM operated a lights-out plant to build computer parts and keyboards without these advances. It shut down due to tooling in exibility. Today, Tesla (of course), GE, FANUC, Philips and rejuvenated Intel run lights-out or low-light manufacturing facilities. While not a manufacturer, Amazon uses many lights-out elements to drive ef ciencies and dominate its market. But without a lights-always-on supply chain, those plants would be in the dark in more ways than one.
Jeof Vita jvita@inboundlogistics.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
DESIGNERS Arlene So
DIGITAL DESIGN MANAGER PUBLICATION MANAGER CIRCULATION DIRECTOR
Amy Palmisano apalmisano@inboundlogistics.com
Sonia Casiano sonia@inboundlogistics.com
Carolyn Smolin
SALES STAFF PUBLISHER: Keith Biondo
212-629-1560 FAX: 212-629-1565 publisher@inboundlogistics.com ADVERTISING SALES sales@inboundlogistics.com Joseph Biondo 516-578-8924 jbiondo@inboundlogistics.com Rachael Sprinz 212-629-1562 FAX: 212-629-1565 rachael@inboundlogistics.com Guillermo Almazo 305-833-5372 mexico@inboundlogistics.com FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS bit.ly/get_il
Inbound Logistics supports sustainable best practices. Our mission is rooted in helping companies match demand to supply, eliminating waste from the supply chain. This magazine is printed on paper sourced from fast growth renewable timber.
Inbound Logistics welcomes submissions and comments. Email us at editorial@inboundlogistics.com; call (212) 629-1560. For advertising or subscription information, email publisher@inboundlogistics.com. Inbound Logistics is distributed without cost to those qualified around the world. Interested readers may subscribe online at bit.ly/get_il. Subscription price to others: in North America $95 per year. Unqualified subscription prices: foreign $229. Single copy price: N. America $50, foreign $100, back issues $50.
4 Inbound Logistics • October 2025
Powered by FlippingBook