Industry 4.0: 7 Practical Case Studies of Digital Manufacturing
A Brief Overview of Industry 4.0
Industry 4.0 is indicating a shift in the status quo
of traditional production. The three technical themes driving this
transformation—connectivity, intelligence, and flexible automation—are
collectively referred to as Industry 4.0, or the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
In order to create a cyber-physical environment,
Industry 4.0 combines OT (Operational Technology) and IT (Information
Technology).
Internet of Things for Industry
Huge Data
Utilizing the cloud
Production Using Additives (AM)
Modern robotics
Virtual and augmented reality (AR/VR)
Through the integration of previously disjointed
systems and processes through interconnected computer systems across the value
and supply chain, these technologies are assisting in the digital transformation
of manufacturing.
Embracing Industry 4.0, digital manufacturing, and
the connectedness that comes with it offers businesses a wide range of
advantages, including increased operational performance, agility, and
flexibility.
Internet of Things for Industry
The Internet of Things is at the core of Industry
4.0. (IoT).
Simply put, the Internet of Things (IoT) is a
network of physical objects that are digitally linked together to enable
communication and data exchange through the Internet. Anything from cellphones
and home appliances to cars and even structures might be considered smart
gadgets.
A subset of the Internet of Things called industrial
IoT integrates numerous sensors, RFID tags, software, and electronics with
industrial machinery and systems to gather real-time data on their performance
and health.
IIoT has several potential applications. Today,
managing and tracking assets is one of the technology's most crucial functions.
IIoT can be used, for instance, to stop inventory
from being overstocked or understocked.
Installing sensors and weights on the shelves and
sending stock-related data to your warehouse management system is one approach
to achieve this.
Warehouse managers can monitor inventory levels and
have real-time access to and control over it by setting up a system like this.
Let's look at how BJC HealthCare reduces costs in
its supply chain by utilizing an integrated inventory management solution.
Spotlight: BJC HealthCare uses IoT for supply chain
and inventory management
A company that offers medical services is BJC
HealthCare. It manages 15 hospitals in Illinois and Missouri.
Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is
used by the business to track and handle thousands of medical goods. RFID
technology reads and stores data on tags that are affixed to objects, such as
medical supplies, using radio waves.
Inventory tracking used to be a labor-intensive
manual process. However, due to the large number of various items hospitals
purchase from suppliers and the large number of items they keep on hand for
particular operations, physically maintaining inventory can be challenging.
When stock is lost, it may be necessary to closely
monitor product expiration dates and spend a lot of time conducting inventory
inspections.
These factors led BJC to choose to use RFID tagging
technology in 2015.
BJC has been able to cut the amount of stock held
on-site at each plant by 23% since introducing the system. Once RFID tagging is
fully implemented this year, the company anticipates continuous savings of
about $5 million each year.
This illustration shows how IIoT may greatly enhance
operations, boost efficiency, cut costs, and offer useful real-time visibility
throughout the supply chain.
Data Analytics and Big Data
The term "big data" describes the enormous
and intricate data sets produced by IoT devices. These data arrive in a variety
of forms and protocols from a wide range of cloud and business applications,
websites, computers, sensors, cameras, and more.
In the manufacturing sector, there are many various
types of data to take into account, including databases from ERP, CRM, and MES
systems and data from production equipment fitted with sensors.
But how can manufacturers transform the data they
gather into actionable business insights and tangible benefits?
The analysis of data.
Data analytics are crucial when it comes to
transforming data into knowledge that might yield useful insights.
Processes involving data analytics can be aided by
machine learning models and data visualization. Data visualization technologies
make it possible for manufacturers to more quickly understand the story the
data tells, while machine learning approaches, in general, utilize strong
computer algorithms to handle enormous data sets.
Ultimately, businesses are now able to discover new
approaches to enhance the processes that have the biggest impact on production
by taking previously isolated data sets and collecting and analyzing them.
Big Data Decision-Making at the Bosch Automotive
Factory in China in the Spotlight
In order to accelerate the digital transformation of
its Bosch Automotive Diesel System manufacturing in Wuxi, China, Bosch is
combining IIoT and big data.
At the heart of the factory, the corporation
connects its equipment to monitor the entire production process. This is
accomplished by integrating sensors into the machinery in the plant, which are
then utilized to gather information about the state of the machinery and its
cycle time.
Advanced data analytics systems analyze the data
after it has been gathered in real time and alert workers to potential
production bottlenecks.
This technique aids in predicting when equipment
will malfunction so that the factory can schedule maintenance work well in
advance of any breakdowns.
Because of this, the manufacturer is able to keep
its equipment working for extended periods of time.
According to the business, using data analysis in
this way has helped raise output by more than 10% in some sectors while
enhancing delivery and customer satisfaction.
In the end, having more knowledge about the plant's
operations helps the entire organizationmake decisions more quickly and
effectively, reducing equipment downtime and streamlining production
procedures.
Utilizing the cloud
For a very long time, manufacturers have been
gathering and storing data to enhance their operations.
For a very long time, manufacturers have been
gathering and storing data to enhance their operations.
However, with the development of IoT and Industry
4.0, it is now true that data is being produced at an uncontrollable rate and
in enormous quantities, making manual handling of it impossible. A system that
can store and manage this data more effectively is therefore required.
Cloud computing can help with this.
Cloud computing offers a platform for users to store
and process massive volumes of data on remote computers. Organizations can use
computer resources without having to build an on-site computing infrastructure
thanks to it.
Information that is stored in the "cloud,"
"cloud," and accessed remotely via the Internet is referred to as
"cloud computing." While not a solution in and of itself, cloud
computing makes it possible to deploy other solutions that previously required
significant computational capacity.
Businesses may gather and utilise business insight
through the use of big data analytics thanks to the capabilities of cloud
computing to provide scalable computer resources and storage space. They may
consolidate and streamline their manufacturing and business activities thanks
to this. Businesses may gather and utilise business insight through the use of
big data analytics thanks to the capabilities of cloud computing to provide
scalable computer resources and storage space. They may consolidate and
streamline their manufacturing and business activities thanks to this.
Organization
IDC forecasts that in 2021, manufacturers will spend
$9.2 billion on cloud computing platforms globally. A fundamental driver
driving its acceptance is the benefit of becentralizecentralizeo centralise
removing silos eliminating silos so that information may be shared throughout a
whole business.
According to one IDC assessment, qualityquality
controlcontrol, computer-aidedcomputer-aided engineering,engineering, and
manufacturingmanufacturing executionexecution systemssystems (MES) are the
three most extensively utilized systems in the cloud.
Clearly, cloud computing is revolutionizing
practically every area of manufacturing, from workflow management to production
operations and even product validation.
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