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Edge AI drives sustainable manufacturing
F
or Industry 4.0, sustainability is more than just a lofty ideal. It’s a legal and financial responsibility – one that needs to
be measured as precisely as any KPI. On the regulatory side, manufacturers are under increasing pressure to meet carbon emissions targets set by governments. Investors are also paying greater attention to companies’ environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices, of which sustainable energy management is an integral part.
In an era marked by growing concern over climate change, this trend has broad support, but it has caused serious issues for the industry. For one, it’s hard to find new ways to increase energy efficiency, especially since sustainability goals are often quite stringent. And, beyond this, capturing and reporting on sustainability data – both to regulators and to shareholders – often entails a tremendous amount of work. “For smaller manufacturers, basic compliance presents a problem,” says Julia Chih, Product Manager for Advantech, a Taiwan-based manufacturer of smart products. “Larger businesses have more resources, but they often lack the organisational knowledge to automate data collection and reporting – and paying a high-priced consultant to do the work isn’t an attractive option.” It’s a difficult situation for manufacturers; however, AI-enabled smart factory solutions may provide the answer: a system that offers rapid ROI and is flexible enough to be future-proof against changes in the regulatory and reporting landscape.
A multilayered solution The strength of smart factory systems comes from their design. There are multiple layers of technology, each one playing a specialised role in the solution as a whole. On the factory
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floor, IoT sensors and edge AI handle data acquisition and real-time process optimisation. Sensors and smart meters are deployed as needed, to collect data from industrial machinery about performance, power consumption, temperature, water usage, and more. This enables greater visibility into what is actually happening in the factory – an essential first step. Edge AI is used to improve efficiency
by processing this sensor data in real time and automatically optimise the production line through the factory’s SCADA systems.
Behind the scenes, data is sent to the cloud for further processing. At this level, business operators can use the collected data to generate regulatory and ESG reports. The volumes of information produced by a smart factory can also be used here by Big Data and AI applications to extract additional insights and develop longer-term optimisation strategies.
This modular, layered architecture means that smart factory solutions are inherently flexible. Manufacturers can configure such solutions to meet their operational and reporting needs. They can also adjust them as needed, if sustainability targets or reporting requirements change in the future. Henry Chen, Advantech’s Business Development Manager, says that Intel’s technology has been particularly helpful in this regard: “Intel processors excel at both edge AI applications and heavier server workloads. The capabilities are well defined and documented, which makes it easy for us to choose the correct processor to meet the customer’s specifications – no matter the scenario.”
The future of sustainability The short-term results that a smart factory solution can produce are impressive, and the promise of rapid effi ciency improvements will no doubt drive adoption in the manufacturing sector. But, in the future, the ability to capture data from the factory and mine it for business insight may open up even greater opportunities. For instance, the IoT and AI in smart factory settings can be used for prognostics and health management (PHM) – a practice of monitoring the health of machinery and performing proactive maintenance to prevent unplanned shutdowns. “If you can repair a machine
before it fails you reduce downtime – something that is extremely costly for manufacturers,” says Chen.
PHM is just one example of the wider potential of smart factories. As the digital transformation of industry accelerates, manufacturers will continue to fi nd innovative uses for the technology. For this reason, Advantech has decided to open-source its AI platform. “The future is going to require
fl exibility and openness, because companies will want to build their own applications to take advantage of the opportunities off ered by IoT and AI in the factory,” adds Chen.
In the coming decade, this should lead to a richer, more comprehensive model of sustainability – one that delivers long- term value for both manufacturers and communities.
CONTACT:
Advantech
www.advantech.com
Automation | March 2023
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