Hai Tsai, Asia-Pacific’s Senior Director of IEHS Vishay Semiconductor, explains how Vishay leverages Advantech’s WISE-iEMS for Energy Management Solutions across Asia-Pacific.

With the growing influence of ESG, all industries are actively promoting energy conservation and carbon reduction strategies, aiming to lower energy use and carbon emissions and thereby contributing to global sustainability. Vishay Group, the world’s largest manufacturer of discrete semiconductors and passive electronic components, plans to gradually deploy Advantech’s WISE-iEMS Intelligent Energy Management Solution in 15 factories throughout the Asia-Pacific region. By consolidating equipment monitoring, energy management, and maintenance into a single platform, and integrating energy-related data from different facilities, Vishay is pursuing peak energy efficiency through centralised management to fast-track their carbon emission reduction goals

Real-time energy management data reporting in semiconductor facilities

Vishay Semiconductor Asia-Pacific’s Senior Director of IEHS, Hai Tsai, emphasized that Vishay Group acknowledged the significance of energy management early on, incorporating energy management systems in several of its factories. Although these systems automatically collated and analysed energy source data to help formulate relevant energy conservation and emission reduction strategies and goals, there was no real-time data. Energy use data was still consolidated at regular intervals, but all comparisons, analyses, and reviews were performed days, weeks, or even months after the fact. Consequently, any energy strategies yielded suboptimal results simply because the overall process took too long.

“For a semiconductor factory that operates 24/7 all year round, the key to minimising energy waste and carbon emissions while lowering production costs lies in tracking energy consumption and promptly identifying anomalies,” said Mr Tsai. To achieve this objective, Vishay Group implemented Advantech’s WISE-iEMS intelligent energy management system. Initially, the system will be deployed in factories in Xi’an, Tianjin, Huizhou, and Kaohsiung. Currently, it has been successfully implemented in Xi’an with tangible results.

Two enhancements and four reductions from smart management

Vishay’s Xi’an plant primarily engages in packaging and production of components such as diodes and MOSFETs. It spans a vast area, making equipment and energy usage management a colossal task for subpar systems. Presently, by employing iEMS/ECOWatch and the Facility Management Control System (FMCS) for equipment management and control paired with data acquisition, real-time monitoring, analysis, and comprehensive diagnosis, the system has already yielded benefits on three fronts:

• First, real-time reporting of equipment energy consumption, carbon emissions statistics, and energy management KPI calculations has significantly improved energy management efficiency in the factory. “Once iEMS/ECOWatch is implemented in each plant, Vishay can compare factories horizontally and continuously identify areas for improvement," emphasized Mr Tsai. In line with ESG trends, Vishay’s supply chain has strong demands regarding carbon reduction strategies, and WISE-iEMS/ECOWatch can aid in ensuring those demands are met with minimal effort.  
• Second, being able to monitor plant equipment and calculate equipment operation efficiency indices based on actual energy consumption and equipment utilisation rates means the factory can gauge equipment wear and tear and plan for maintenance accordingly. This avoids unnecessary energy loss from outdated equipment while enhancing the plant’s efficiency.  
• Third, it boosts work efficiency and reduces time and human resource demands. Mr Tsai further explained that previously, data had to be extracted and compiled from monthly or annual financial reports, but WISE-iEMS makes it possible to easily present energy management information to customers. It can also automatically gather data and generate reports, considerably reducing time and human resource costs for customer audits.  

Overall, implementing WISE-iEMS at the Xi’an plant has yielded two enhancements and four reductions: significant improvements in equipment efficiency and resource utilisation; and reduced production costs, equipment maintenance costs, equipment failure rates, and human resource demand. 

Two key reasons for choosing advantech as a sustainable partner

Despite the many energy management solutions in the market, Vishay selected Advantech for two critical reasons: 

• First, Advantech’s system architecture combines both on-site deployment and cloud integration. Mr Tsai noted that many energy management solutions from other international powerhouses are primarily cloud-based with no on-site deployment option. However, Advantech’s WISE-IoT platform can be deployed locally with the option to store data centrally on a private cloud.  
• Second, Advantech’s WISE-iEMS provides low-code design with high flexibility, offering standard products and additional custom system development services. Mr Tsai underscored that energy management is not static, and KPIs may shift based on operational status, external factors, and the group’s energy conservation goals. Furthermore, Vishay has unique internal systems, making it necessary for them to adjust and customise the energy management system for various reasons. 

Nevertheless, most international brands’ software development centers are situated in Europe or the United States, causing communication delays and potentially high costs if development is needed. By contrast, Advantech’s engineering team provides local support, and their customer-centric approach enables engineers to proactively assist in resolving system implementation challenges, particularly during customisation.

Looking ahead, Vishay will continue to deepen its partnership with Advantech, further promoting the implementation of energy management systems in its Asia-Pacific factories. The group will also explore other smart applications for WISE-iEMS, such as adopting the Computerised Maintenance Management System (CMMS) for facility preventive maintenance or utilising carbon asset inventory services to streamline sustainable reporting operations.  

“Advantech and Vishay share a common commitment to sustainability goals for our planet, and both companies are actively involved in promoting ESG,” remarked Mr Tsai. He is confident that with a shared vision, collaboration between the two companies will contribute significantly to optimising Vishay Group’s energy utilisation efficiency by reducing carbon emissions and production costs while ensuring sustainable business operations and environmental sustainability—creating a situation of mutual benefit for Advantech, Vishay, and the planet.

Case benefits:

• Improved equipment efficiency and resource utilisation
• Reduced production costs and human resources, and
• Decreased equipment maintenance costs and equipment failure rates.