Force Feedback Reveals Actionable Data in Manufacturing

whitePaper | July 7, 2022

Production scheduling primarily deals with arranging different jobs in various machines based on the timelines for each job. There can be numerous combinations of schedules possible. Production schedules can be designed to maximize the capacity utilization, minimize idle time of the machine, earliness, overall costs etc. Manual design of a schedule can be a tedious and time consuming task. There are a lot of dependencies which the scheduler needs to tweak based on a single change. Generating a production schedule targeting a specific objective function can be done using mathematical models. Mathematical models involve formulating the production scheduling problem as an optimization model wherein there is a certain objective function which needs to be optimized based on a set of constraints. Mathematical models generally outperform manually designed schedules which involve a lot of inter-dependencies among the jobs. Due to improvement in computational power, developing a production schedule using mathematical models is relatively quick and efficient.

whitePaper | June 3, 2022

Production and intralogistics in the consumer goods industry are currently undergoing significant changes. This is the result of rising cost pressures and the need for greater automation as well as increasing product variants and customization. The changes that are taking place also relate to the goal of digitization: Every sensor, every machine, and all people involved in the production and intralogistics processes should be able to communicate with each other at all times. The vertical and, in the next step, horizontal networking of sensors, machines and factories is the systematic further development of this digitalization.

whitePaper | March 29, 2023

As momentum around the Connected Factory continues to build, manufacturers everywhere are intently focused on reaching Industry 4.0 in their own factory environments. But to reach Industry 4.0 implies that it is a destination—and that, once reached, one’s quest for Industry 4.0 is somehow complete. The lion’s share of the industry speaks about Industry 4.0 this way. However, to reap the full benefits of the Connected Factory, it is critical that today’s manufacturers approach Industry 4.0 as a journey

whitePaper | October 10, 2022

Advances in technology promise many advantages to manufacturers striving to overcome challenges, realize new efficiencies and gain a competitive advantage. The top trends below, collectively termed the Fourth Industrial Revolution5 or Industry 4.0, are combining to transform the modern manufacturing world.

whitePaper | March 12, 2022

Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA), which encompasses Northern I-81 Corridor communities such as Scranton, Pittston, Wilkes-Barre, and Hazleton, has a long history of supporting a diverse array of manufacturing operations.

whitePaper | November 23, 2022

Smart Manufacturing as a concept has been around for over 15 years and is firmly on an upward trajectory as organizations are starting to realize their full transformational potential. For most manufacturers, it’s only recently that the Smart Factory is no longer considered a technology experiment. It’s now deemed a critical initiative with a clear business case: a Gartner survey of manufacturers found 88% of participants expect smart manufacturing to advance their competitiveness1 .