Home > Resources > Articles > How Industry 4.0 Solutions Are Revolutionizing the Shop Floors

How Industry 4.0 Solutions Are Revolutionizing the Shop Floors

Bhagyashri Kambale | March 29, 2022 | 401 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.

Spotlight

Engent, Inc.

Engent is a provider of advanced electronic manufacturing and technology services. Engent leverages its world-class facilities, highly experienced and educated team to provide solutions which shorten a product’s time to market and which enable products to be manufactured at high volumes.

OTHER ARTICLES

Achieving Interoperability in an Industry 4.0 Factory

Article | February 11, 2020

As a part of the Industry 4.0 movement, factory engineers are increasingly adopting some form of industrial Ethernet to interconnect the machines and other equipment implementing their production processes. Ethernet has been around in multiple forms for over 40 years. Most of it serves the IT community by interconnecting PCs and other equipment to a company LAN. Because of its flexibility, Ethernet has been adapted to many industrial uses.

Read More

The Impact of Coronavirus on Electronic Manufacturing

Article | February 11, 2020

Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, is considered a crucial hub in the middle of China, a place of high importance for the production of automobiles, electronics, optics, and fiber optics. Wuhan and surrounding cities in the Hubei province are currently on a government-imposed quarantine at a scale the world has never seen before, some Chinese officials have referred to the situation as warlike.

Read More

Digitalizing Your Manufacturing Ecosystem

Article | February 10, 2020

Making digitalization work for you requires an understanding of your manufacturing ecosystem. Standards - such as ISA-95 - only guide you on a journey to more deeply comprehend the workings of your unique process for manufacturing your products. A batch manufacturing ecosystem often includes campaign management. Campaign management is not mentioned in ISA-95, which only speaks generally of order processing.

Read More

4 Food and Beverage Manufacturing Trends on Tap for 2020

Article | February 10, 2020

It’s the food and beverage industry’s job to appeal to consumer tastes by keeping tabs on what’s hot and what’s not. In the 1990s, for instance, fat free or reduced fat was all the rage, evidenced by the variety of products with such descriptions featured in bold typeface on cartons, cardboard and boxes. Fast forward to today, thanks in part to advancements in nutrition science, fat is back and is recommended in low-carb diets such as Atkins and Keto.

Read More

Achieving Interoperability in an Industry 4.0 Factory

Article | February 11, 2020

As a part of the Industry 4.0 movement, factory engineers are increasingly adopting some form of industrial Ethernet to interconnect the machines and other equipment implementing their production processes. Ethernet has been around in multiple forms for over 40 years. Most of it serves the IT community by interconnecting PCs and other equipment to a company LAN. Because of its flexibility, Ethernet has been adapted to many industrial uses.

Read More

The Impact of Coronavirus on Electronic Manufacturing

Article | February 11, 2020

Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, is considered a crucial hub in the middle of China, a place of high importance for the production of automobiles, electronics, optics, and fiber optics. Wuhan and surrounding cities in the Hubei province are currently on a government-imposed quarantine at a scale the world has never seen before, some Chinese officials have referred to the situation as warlike.

Read More

Digitalizing Your Manufacturing Ecosystem

Article | February 10, 2020

Making digitalization work for you requires an understanding of your manufacturing ecosystem. Standards - such as ISA-95 - only guide you on a journey to more deeply comprehend the workings of your unique process for manufacturing your products. A batch manufacturing ecosystem often includes campaign management. Campaign management is not mentioned in ISA-95, which only speaks generally of order processing.

Read More

4 Food and Beverage Manufacturing Trends on Tap for 2020

Article | February 10, 2020

It’s the food and beverage industry’s job to appeal to consumer tastes by keeping tabs on what’s hot and what’s not. In the 1990s, for instance, fat free or reduced fat was all the rage, evidenced by the variety of products with such descriptions featured in bold typeface on cartons, cardboard and boxes. Fast forward to today, thanks in part to advancements in nutrition science, fat is back and is recommended in low-carb diets such as Atkins and Keto.

Read More
MORE ARTICLE

Spotlight

Engent, Inc.

Engent is a provider of advanced electronic manufacturing and technology services. Engent leverages its world-class facilities, highly experienced and educated team to provide solutions which shorten a product’s time to market and which enable products to be manufactured at high volumes.

Related News

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Infinite Electronics, Inc., Announces the Acquisition of Bulgin

Infinite Electronics, Inc. | January 20, 2023

On January 19, 2023, Infinite Electronics, Inc., the leading global supplier of electronic components, announced the acquisition of Bulgin Ltd, a UK-based developer and manufacturer of connectors and related components for harsh-environment applications. Equistone Partners Europe, a renowned European mid-market private equity firm, was the previous owner of Bulgin. Bulgin has over a century of expertise designing, developing, and producing IP66, IP67, IP68, and IP69K severe environment connectivity solutions for customers in various industries. Bulgin is focused on bespoke services and custom capabilities, as well as fast prototyping and a Rapid Response Team (RRT) to meet customers' urgent needs. Since Equistone acquired the company in 2019, Bulgin has expanded dramatically, opening a new site in Tunis, Tunisia, as well as new headquarters in Cambridge, UK. Bulgin has over 600 distributor locations across 60 countries and six continents. It employs 680 people worldwide, including its headquarters in the United Kingdom, businesses in Tunisia and Santa Fe Springs, California, as well as a foothold in the Asia-Pacific region. This acquisition expands Infinite Electronics' presence in Europe. It follows the company's announcement of entering a definitive agreement to acquire Cable Connectivity Group (CCG) from Torqx Capital Partners and TKH Group NV, a leading producer and distributor of specialty cables and cable connectivity solutions. These acquisitions are prominent milestones in Infinite Electronics' six-year rapid growth. These slew of acquisitions are the latest milestones in Infinite Electronics' aggressive expansion over the last six years. About Infinite Electronics, Inc. Based in Irvine, California, Infinite Electronics is a leading global electrical component supplier, meeting engineers' urgent needs through a family of well-known and trusted brands. It offers a diverse range of components, assemblies, and wired/wireless connectivity solutions and serves the aerospace/defense, industrial, government, consumer electronics, instrumentation, medical and telecommunications markets. Infinite's brands include Pasternack, Fairview Microwave, L-com, MilesTek, Aiconics, KP Performance Antennas, PolyPhaser, Transtector, RadioWaves, ShowMe Cables, Integra Optics, INC Installs and NavePoint. By working quickly to supply goods, solutions, and real-time support to its clients, its brands help move the world's innovators forward.

Read More

INDUSTRIAL 4.0

HNA.Live Launches AI and 3D Cloud Solution for Manufacturers

HNA Live | December 21, 2022

HNA Live, a data analytics company serving manufacturing and real estate industries, has selected CLEA, AI/IOT platform from SECO MIND USA LLC for their innovative cloud solution that combines AI and 3D technology to optimize manufacturing facility productivity. Manufacturing 4.0 is transforming the way manufacturers manage and optimize their operations, from product design and production to distribution and customer satisfaction. HNA LIVE offers granular, privacy-protected, real-time insights into the performance efficiencies and bottlenecks of operations, safety, and quality in the manufacturing space. "The digital transformations are notoriously difficult to scale up across networks of factories, the pressure to succeed is intense. With CLEA we can rapidly enable manufacturers to capture benefits across the entire manufacturing value chain." Cooper Mojsiejenko, Chief Executive Officer at HNA Live HNA Live makes use of LIDAR and other data collection technologies to precisely measure and create 3D models for manufacturing whether it's plant movement, working parts in process, or a building's entire operation. HNA.Live's cutting-edge technology provides more accurate real-time 3D modeling for a manufacturer's business strategy. "CLEA enables connecting and cloud managing any hardware for smart control, monitoring, and actionable insights. HNA Live is enabling manufacturers to increase production capacity, reduce material losses, improve delivery lead times, and reduce their environmental impact. We are very excited to be part of their journey." Ajay Malik, CEO of SECO Mind USA HNA Live HourNationArchive, INC. is a privately held company located in Denver, CO. HNA Live is a cloud solution that combines AI and 3D technology to optimize manufacturing facility productivity. Connecting LIDAR and other data collection technologies to precisely measure and create 3D models for manufacturing whether it's plant movement, working parts in process, or a building's entire operation. HNA.Live's cutting-edge technology provides more accurate real-time 3D modeling for a manufacturer's business strategy. SECO Mind USA Secomind USA LLC is a privately held company located in the heart of Silicon Valley and is a subsidiary of SECO SpA. Secomind delivers AI/IoT software for accelerating digital transformation. It builds turnkey solutions for Vending Machines, Agriculture, Defense, Manufacturing, and Healthcare. Secomind is on a mission to augment the abilities of machines and people by using AI everywhere computing takes place and is a leader in self-supervised learning, incremental learning and reinforcement learning. They have built and deployed AI products for computer vision, air quality, predictive maintenance, vending machines, defense against drones, and more for private, public, and government.

Read More

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Viridi Parente Chooses Bright Machines to Digitize Manufacturing Facility

Bright Machines | January 25, 2023

On January 24, 2023, Bright Machines, a leader in intelligent, software-defined manufacturing, and Viridi Parente, Inc., a leading developer of safe, resilient, point-of-use battery storage technology, announced that Viridi has chosen Bright Machines to transform the company's U.S. electric battery manufacturing facility digitally. Bright Machines Microfactories, the company's full-stack assembly automation solution, modernizes production by integrating data and AI. This gives Viridi new capability to fulfill the growing demand for its zero-carbon emission energy battery solutions. Viridi manufactures battery energy storage systems in Buffalo, New York. Bright Machines will play a key role in the assembly of Viridi's stationary lithium-ion battery pack system modules, which are developed and tested to be fail-safe for installation in industrial, commercial, and residential settings. Companies like Viridi and Bright Machines are fueling the United States' re-emergence as a global manufacturing powerhouse. Bright Machines will assist Viridi in automating the assembly of its clean, sustainable power sources, which will replace century-old distributed energy platforms, including fossil fuel, lead-acid batteries, and other outmoded technologies. Additionally, Viridi will implement more sustainable practices by utilizing Bright Machines' intelligent automation solution, which evaluates production areas to determine the appropriate material requirements to reduce fault rates. Viridi will also be able to decrease overproduction and instead produce-to-order depending on local market demand as its facility is near the end consumer. This will result in reduced landfill and an overall reduction in Viridi's carbon footprint. The only option to reduce costs, emissions, and geopolitical risks while satisfying U.S. battery and electrification demand is to localize the production of crucial battery components. Intelligent assembly automation from Bright Machines enables rapid product evolution at a low cost while minimizing time to market. In addition, the trend toward closer-to-home production promotes jobs in the United States and allows businesses to progress their sustainability efforts through local and regional supply chains. About Bright Machines Founded in 2018, Bright Machines is a leading technology firm that offers an innovative approach to software-defined, intelligent manufacturing. It uses machine learning, computer vision, 3D simulation, and adaptive robotics to alter production's flexibility, scalability, and economics fundamentally. Bright Machines runs R&D facilities in the United States and Israel, with additional field operations in the United States, Mexico, China, and Poland, and it employs more than 500 people globally. It has been recognized as a "Technology Pioneer" by the World Economic Forum and one of "America's Most Promising Artificial Intelligence Companies" by Forbes in 2019.

Read More

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Infinite Electronics, Inc., Announces the Acquisition of Bulgin

Infinite Electronics, Inc. | January 20, 2023

On January 19, 2023, Infinite Electronics, Inc., the leading global supplier of electronic components, announced the acquisition of Bulgin Ltd, a UK-based developer and manufacturer of connectors and related components for harsh-environment applications. Equistone Partners Europe, a renowned European mid-market private equity firm, was the previous owner of Bulgin. Bulgin has over a century of expertise designing, developing, and producing IP66, IP67, IP68, and IP69K severe environment connectivity solutions for customers in various industries. Bulgin is focused on bespoke services and custom capabilities, as well as fast prototyping and a Rapid Response Team (RRT) to meet customers' urgent needs. Since Equistone acquired the company in 2019, Bulgin has expanded dramatically, opening a new site in Tunis, Tunisia, as well as new headquarters in Cambridge, UK. Bulgin has over 600 distributor locations across 60 countries and six continents. It employs 680 people worldwide, including its headquarters in the United Kingdom, businesses in Tunisia and Santa Fe Springs, California, as well as a foothold in the Asia-Pacific region. This acquisition expands Infinite Electronics' presence in Europe. It follows the company's announcement of entering a definitive agreement to acquire Cable Connectivity Group (CCG) from Torqx Capital Partners and TKH Group NV, a leading producer and distributor of specialty cables and cable connectivity solutions. These acquisitions are prominent milestones in Infinite Electronics' six-year rapid growth. These slew of acquisitions are the latest milestones in Infinite Electronics' aggressive expansion over the last six years. About Infinite Electronics, Inc. Based in Irvine, California, Infinite Electronics is a leading global electrical component supplier, meeting engineers' urgent needs through a family of well-known and trusted brands. It offers a diverse range of components, assemblies, and wired/wireless connectivity solutions and serves the aerospace/defense, industrial, government, consumer electronics, instrumentation, medical and telecommunications markets. Infinite's brands include Pasternack, Fairview Microwave, L-com, MilesTek, Aiconics, KP Performance Antennas, PolyPhaser, Transtector, RadioWaves, ShowMe Cables, Integra Optics, INC Installs and NavePoint. By working quickly to supply goods, solutions, and real-time support to its clients, its brands help move the world's innovators forward.

Read More

INDUSTRIAL 4.0

HNA.Live Launches AI and 3D Cloud Solution for Manufacturers

HNA Live | December 21, 2022

HNA Live, a data analytics company serving manufacturing and real estate industries, has selected CLEA, AI/IOT platform from SECO MIND USA LLC for their innovative cloud solution that combines AI and 3D technology to optimize manufacturing facility productivity. Manufacturing 4.0 is transforming the way manufacturers manage and optimize their operations, from product design and production to distribution and customer satisfaction. HNA LIVE offers granular, privacy-protected, real-time insights into the performance efficiencies and bottlenecks of operations, safety, and quality in the manufacturing space. "The digital transformations are notoriously difficult to scale up across networks of factories, the pressure to succeed is intense. With CLEA we can rapidly enable manufacturers to capture benefits across the entire manufacturing value chain." Cooper Mojsiejenko, Chief Executive Officer at HNA Live HNA Live makes use of LIDAR and other data collection technologies to precisely measure and create 3D models for manufacturing whether it's plant movement, working parts in process, or a building's entire operation. HNA.Live's cutting-edge technology provides more accurate real-time 3D modeling for a manufacturer's business strategy. "CLEA enables connecting and cloud managing any hardware for smart control, monitoring, and actionable insights. HNA Live is enabling manufacturers to increase production capacity, reduce material losses, improve delivery lead times, and reduce their environmental impact. We are very excited to be part of their journey." Ajay Malik, CEO of SECO Mind USA HNA Live HourNationArchive, INC. is a privately held company located in Denver, CO. HNA Live is a cloud solution that combines AI and 3D technology to optimize manufacturing facility productivity. Connecting LIDAR and other data collection technologies to precisely measure and create 3D models for manufacturing whether it's plant movement, working parts in process, or a building's entire operation. HNA.Live's cutting-edge technology provides more accurate real-time 3D modeling for a manufacturer's business strategy. SECO Mind USA Secomind USA LLC is a privately held company located in the heart of Silicon Valley and is a subsidiary of SECO SpA. Secomind delivers AI/IoT software for accelerating digital transformation. It builds turnkey solutions for Vending Machines, Agriculture, Defense, Manufacturing, and Healthcare. Secomind is on a mission to augment the abilities of machines and people by using AI everywhere computing takes place and is a leader in self-supervised learning, incremental learning and reinforcement learning. They have built and deployed AI products for computer vision, air quality, predictive maintenance, vending machines, defense against drones, and more for private, public, and government.

Read More

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Viridi Parente Chooses Bright Machines to Digitize Manufacturing Facility

Bright Machines | January 25, 2023

On January 24, 2023, Bright Machines, a leader in intelligent, software-defined manufacturing, and Viridi Parente, Inc., a leading developer of safe, resilient, point-of-use battery storage technology, announced that Viridi has chosen Bright Machines to transform the company's U.S. electric battery manufacturing facility digitally. Bright Machines Microfactories, the company's full-stack assembly automation solution, modernizes production by integrating data and AI. This gives Viridi new capability to fulfill the growing demand for its zero-carbon emission energy battery solutions. Viridi manufactures battery energy storage systems in Buffalo, New York. Bright Machines will play a key role in the assembly of Viridi's stationary lithium-ion battery pack system modules, which are developed and tested to be fail-safe for installation in industrial, commercial, and residential settings. Companies like Viridi and Bright Machines are fueling the United States' re-emergence as a global manufacturing powerhouse. Bright Machines will assist Viridi in automating the assembly of its clean, sustainable power sources, which will replace century-old distributed energy platforms, including fossil fuel, lead-acid batteries, and other outmoded technologies. Additionally, Viridi will implement more sustainable practices by utilizing Bright Machines' intelligent automation solution, which evaluates production areas to determine the appropriate material requirements to reduce fault rates. Viridi will also be able to decrease overproduction and instead produce-to-order depending on local market demand as its facility is near the end consumer. This will result in reduced landfill and an overall reduction in Viridi's carbon footprint. The only option to reduce costs, emissions, and geopolitical risks while satisfying U.S. battery and electrification demand is to localize the production of crucial battery components. Intelligent assembly automation from Bright Machines enables rapid product evolution at a low cost while minimizing time to market. In addition, the trend toward closer-to-home production promotes jobs in the United States and allows businesses to progress their sustainability efforts through local and regional supply chains. About Bright Machines Founded in 2018, Bright Machines is a leading technology firm that offers an innovative approach to software-defined, intelligent manufacturing. It uses machine learning, computer vision, 3D simulation, and adaptive robotics to alter production's flexibility, scalability, and economics fundamentally. Bright Machines runs R&D facilities in the United States and Israel, with additional field operations in the United States, Mexico, China, and Poland, and it employs more than 500 people globally. It has been recognized as a "Technology Pioneer" by the World Economic Forum and one of "America's Most Promising Artificial Intelligence Companies" by Forbes in 2019.

Read More

Events