How Industry 4.0 Solutions Are Revolutionizing the Shop Floors

Bhagyashri Kambale | March 29, 2022 | 474 views
INDUSTRY 4.0
Smart manufacturing industry 4.0 is based on the concept that machines should be able to communicate and collaborate to produce new products and services. Industry 4.0 solutions, often known as the fourth industrial revolution, are transforming the way we live and work—and significantly impact the global economy.

“As companies learn to tap into the potential of the vast amounts of data emerging across all areas of operations, decision-making and action-taking are taken to a new level.”

- Thomas Erwin Global Head of KPMG Lighthouse, CoE for data-driven technologies

Industry 4.0 solutions or technologies are used to alter the way industrial companies function. Industrial IoT, automation and robots, predictive maintenance, simulation, additive manufacturing, and IoT analytics are a few of these technologies.
In this article, we will take a look at how these industry 4.0 technologies are accelerating the shop floor activities to optimize the overall manufacturing operations.


Industry 4.0 Technologies and How They Can Help

Robotics: The application of computer-controlled robots to manual tasks, such as assembling.
3D Printing: Manufacturing a three-dimensional item by layering material under computer control.
Sensor Technology: A sensor capable of detecting and responding to environmental circumstances.
AI and Machine Learning: Enables the extraction of fresh insights and decision-making capabilities from massive amounts of information.
Digital Twin: Creates digital replicas of operations to diagnose problems and test operational adjustments.
Augmented Reality: This allows for new data visualizations to increase worker productivity.
Communications Network Infrastructure: Enables data transit between machines and humans and comprehensive system integration.
Big Data Platforms: Stores, manipulates, and shows data while also providing new degrees of operational management.
Digital Supply Chain: Provides real-time visibility into supply and demand to eliminate network delay.
IoT Enabled Cybersecurity: New cyber security techniques are required due to newly digitized and automated activities.


Improve Shop Floor Operations with Industry 4.0 In Manufacturing


Digitize Each Process

Recognizing machine availability, idle state, running status, efficiency, and product quality data in real-time is crucial for any shop floor supervisor or manager to meet the actual vs. target production for that day.

Digitizing the manufacturing operations enables everyone on the shop floor to precisely comprehend machine parameters and meet day-to-day production targets.

With real-time data collection, supervisors, operators, and plant managers can easily track the overall effectiveness of their equipment.


Track OEE Using IoT and Mobile App

Capture and monitor the accuracy of sensitive data in real-time using IoT devices to record and deliver threshold alerts to supervisors’ and plant managers. This can be done using the mobile app to examine each machine's performance and efficiency. The data acquired by the OEE monitoring software will aid the organization in increasing its overall productivity rate.


Keep Track of Product Counts

Monitoring production in real-time is difficult for most operators, but digitizing the process with a TV dashboard enables operators to keep track of the number of goods produced on the machine. A production monitoring system allows operators to keep track of the number of products manufactured each day compared to the expected number.


Assign Tasks Dynamically

Supervisors spend considerable time allocating jobs to operators and tracking their efficiency. Digitizing job card processes makes it easy for supervisors to assign tasks seamlessly to operators on a shift or transfer tasks to others in the absence of an operator via automation. It also efficiently tracks each operator's performance across multiple changes.


Keep Track of Machine Failures

Maintaining accurate machine uptime and downtime records is a constant challenge for operators. With the arrival of industry 4.0 technologies such as industrial IoT solutions in the market, operators now have real-time data on machine uptime and downtime, allowing for smooth analysis of machine performance. In addition, preventive maintenance software helps operators and managers monitor equipment data while on the go. Unplanned downtime and frequent repairs are incredibly costly, and prevention is critical to achieving a higher return on investment.


Utilize Data with a Predictive Maintenance System

Tracking machine data and identifying machine downtime in real-time can significantly lower the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership). Collecting machine data for at least five years and evaluating it using a predictive maintenance system powered by AI and machine learning will help your organization reduce unplanned downtime or unexpected machine failures and increase production.

In the future, with predictive maintenance software, industrial businesses can figure out what will happen to their machinery and how to avoid it.

Many manufacturing organizations have already begun to utilize the potential of industry 4.0 solutions to improve their day-to-day operations and efficiency to satisfy the ever-changing and expanding needs of their customers, resulting in an increased return on investment.


Final Word

Industry 4.0 technologies enable firms to optimize their daily manufacturing operations and business processes in various ways. As a result, industry 4.0 solutions are generating significant interest in the industry, and several businesses are implementing them on their shop floors. Apple, Amazon, General Electrics, Siemens, Ford, and Bosch are some of the industry's biggest employers of industry 4.0 solutions.

However, manufacturers must implement these industry 4.0 technologies correctly. Instead of going with the flow, examine your business requirements and choose the appropriate technological implementation.


FAQ


Why is Industry 4.0 so critical?

Industry 4.0 technology helps you control and optimize your manufacturing and supply chain processes. It provides real-time data and insights to help you make better business decisions, increasing your company's productivity and profitability.


What is Industry 4.0's key objective?

Industry 4.0's primary purpose is to propel manufacturing forward: make it faster, more efficient, and customer-centric. Also, push beyond automation and optimization in search of new business prospects and models.


What are the benefits of smart manufacturing?

Improved efficiency, leaner processes, maximum flexibility, enhanced agility, innovation, and higher-quality products are some of the significant benefits of smart manufacturing.

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