Internet of Things
Manufacturing a digital revolution
As manufacturers continue to grapple with the challenges of the pandemic, Steve O’Connell, sales and marketing director at Advantex, considers the new digital technologies coming on stream that secure productivity.
digitalisation (digital technologies ) is high on the shopping list of manufacturers looking to invest as part of an effective strategy to meet the economic and political uncertainties that lie on the road ahead in a post pandemic world. Indeed, the evidence strongly suggests that those manufacturers who have made digital investments in the past 12 months have bounced back stronger and quicker from the affects of COVID-19 in recent times, and those who are now planning to plough fresh resources into improving their digital capabilities are sure to be far more responsive when normality returns. In the UK, we are seeing for ourselves
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manufacturers fast developing their smart factories to meet current and future production challenges and stay a step ahead of their competitors. For those companies making the smart investments, digitalisation built around improved connectivity and wireless services will
ecent research carried out in North America by international professional services firm Deloitte reveals that new
facilitate the transformation of their infrastructures (and businesses), providing even more flexibility as they accommodate the ebb and flow of consumer demand; increasing manufacturing or slowing or even shifting production in response to disruptions.
New iNduStriAl Age We are in the white heat of a new industrial age - Industry 4.0 - and the ‘intelligent’ interconnected digital factories lie at the heart of this revolution. In this brave new world, every aspect of the production process, from procurement and component supply chain management through manufacturing and quality control to storage and distribution is increasingly being automated, powered by digital data to deliver significant business performance benefits, demonstrable efficiencies and savings across the board. But we must think from the foundation up. The
adoption of advanced data cabling to provide strong foundations for hardware, 5G enabled
wireless networks, data switching and digital communications among other systems before we even think about the applications, is ensuring we are delivering competitive technology-driven solutions that not only improve processes and business performance, but also support growth and operational expansion. The digital tools that lie at the heart of today’s connected factory allow manufacturers to work ever smarter and far more effectively than they have ever done before, improving cyber security and safety protocols in the process. At a fundamental level, the connected factory
starts with digitising physical assets and processes by embedding smart sensors into product components and equipment, enabling the real- time collection of production data and powered by superfast and secure internet connectivity. Physical assets such as plant and machines are controlled by information systems or sophisticated data analytics, enabling them to be fully optimised and autonomously operated - no need for human intervention.
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May 2021 Instrumentation Monthly
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