Scholar and leadership expert Warren Bennis once said, “In life, change is inevitable. In
business, change is vital.” This wisdom resonates with every business owner,
but none more than the manufacturer.
Digital Supply Chains
We are in the midst of a new industrial revolution,
one which will significantly impact the manufacturing industry. Experts are
calling it Industry 4.0, the fourth wave in the industrial revolution behind
steam power, electricity and computing.
According to TechRadar,
Industry 4.0 is “the label given to the gradual combination of traditional
manufacturing and industrial practices with the increasingly technological
world around us.” Industry 4.0 is ushering in a new era of production where
automation and data exchange are integrated into the manufacturing process to
streamline productivity.
Sounds great, right? It is, if you can upgrade your
legacy equipment. Nobody enjoys the process of upgrading, let alone talking
about it, but this is a revolution you don’t want to miss. Here’s how you can
upgrade your legacy equipment to successfully ride the wave of Industry 4.0.
Industrial Internet of
Things
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is the
interconnection between manufacturing and production equipment. This equipment
uses sensors and internet connectivity to communicate with themselves and one
another to create a more efficient production output. As a result, equipment
can consider factors like stress on the electrical grid and projected weather
to determine the most efficient way to operate at any given time.
According to Gartner, a leading research and advisory company, more
than half of major new business processes and systems will incorporate some
element of the IIoT by 2020. What’s more, McKinsey Global Institute reported that in the last five years, the number of
connected machines has grown by 300 percent.
These businesses are onto something; there are
many benefits of integrating the IIoT into manufacturing
processes. Information gleaned from the IIoT provides access to real-time data
and insights on equipment’s performance and use. Operators can also closely
track the lifespan of their machinery in order to proactively plan for
maintenance and upgrades. IIoT integration also aids in the automation process.
Digitally connecting the machinery creates a mesh that seamlessly translates
into full automation. Finally, clients can more readily track the progress of
their order with insights provided by the IIoT.
Integrating the IIoT with existing equipment can be
challenging, but it isn’t impossible. Most legacy equipment can be retrofitted
with sensors and other online monitoring devices.
Smart Factories
In the past, many manufacturing facilities relied
on Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) software to integrate the many
independent facets of the production process. Unfortunately, this technology is
not able to manage production processes in real-time.
Smart Factory software integrates every part of the
production process, including production, resources, supply chain, maintenance
and human resources, in order to create a single, efficient output.
This technology enables factory managers to examine
data once unavailable, informing decisions about production and other business
processes. With Smart software, operators can be more responsive to several
factors, including resource availability and cost, consumer demand, market fluctuations,
and more.
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| An Example of Wireless HART mesh network |
Digital Supply Chains
Digital supply chains aren’t simple A to B, B to C,
C to D processes. In these systems, relationships between different parts of
the overall production process are affected by changes or events elsewhere in
the system and able to adapt to those changes.
To create a truly digital supply chain, the
facility must consider all factors that could potentially impact each part of
the supply chain, all the while remedying any issues that may impede the supply
chain from operating as designed. Insights from a digital supply chain give
manufacturers a real-time overview of every link in the supply chain. As a
result, they can quickly respond to problems and simulate scenarios to
proactively plan for the future.
To do this well, factories must integrate every
step of the product life cycle. This includes everything from sourcing and
shipping raw materials, to ordering packaging, advertising the product, and
scheduling employees on the factory floor. The digital supply chain system
acknowledges that creating a product isn’t black and white. It is a highly
sophisticated process that involves many interconnected variables.
You can also read: Introduction to Industrial Automation
Industry 4.0 is here to stay. Upgrades can cause
growing pains, but in the end, change is almost always a good thing. Be a part
of the next industrial revolution. Integrate your equipment and transform your
business.
About the Author:
Page Long is the Marketing Operations Director
at PDF Electric & Supply, which is based out of Cary, NC. PDF Electric
& Supply is an automation supplier specializing in Legacy GE PLCs.
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