FEATURE Industry 4.0 & Smart Factories y
Increasing productivity in a time of crisis
High-end system integrator Optimal supplies advanced software and automation systems to key industries, to improve, upgrade and recommission process equipment
O
ptimal Industrial Automation is off ering a range of upgrade and support options to businesses facing
unprecedented demand, such as those in the food processing and pharma manufacturing sectors. A range of scale-up options are being used from recommissioning mothballed equipment with cutting-edge control automation, right up to applying game- changing process automation solutions such as Process Analytical Technology (PAT) software to massively increase production from existing equipment. Innovative automation projects and
revamps of existing systems are being used to drive plant productivity and deliver the conversion of production lines in record time. “Many businesses are changing their
production output to meet increased demand for PPE and specifi c medical equipment,” says Martin Gadsby, Director at Optimal Industrial Automation, “while others need to use every option available to increase production of in-demand products such as pharmaceutical drugs and sanitiser products.”
“The big challenge is how to fast-forward technological development for machines, processes and production lines that may have been sat ticking along for up to ten years, or longer. Control automation has changed radically in that time, with everything from aff ordable robots to Industry 4.0 type networking and communication, making systems far more effi cient, fl exible and responsive to changes in demand.” “Our own advanced process management software platform synTQ developed by sister
16 September 2020 | Automation
company Optimal Industrial Technologies, for example, is being used right now by major global companies and SMEs to boost output – with three-fold increases in some cases. This is being achieved while maintaining the same manufacturing infrastructure.” “This sounds farfetched, but in a highly
regulated industry, using synTQ to move away from manual testing and quality control measures over to a fully automated real-time quality-centric solution can have a startling eff ect on production output. Optimal is in the unique position of having managed the system integration for more synTQ projects than any other supplier globally. Hence we’ve already successfully deployed automation and PAT projects to help fast-track projects from R&D though to full GMP production, including key life changing drugs.”
Experience counts when the pressure is on
For over 30 years Optimal Industrial Automation has been supporting businesses in a wide range of industries, to optimise production costs, product quality and business sustainability by building, integrating and enhancing their factory automation systems. In the most demanding and highly regulated of sectors, such as aerospace, food & beverage, chemical, pharmaceutical, life-science and nuclear, Optimal’s customers have enjoyed substantial benefi ts, even before the added pressure of a global pandemic. Now, to address the continuing uncertainty about how global and local supply chains will operate in the following months, the
company is providing extra support to help manufacturers leverage factory automation to increase capacity and improve traceability while also improving quality. In this way, it aims to contribute toward avoiding shortages by increasing productivity or repurposing production and processing assets. Current customer projects vary in scale and level of complexity, from applying individual PLC control to individual processes, through to robotising production machines, applying machine vision systems and commissioning productivity and quality improvement tools such as PAT-based software. Martin Gadsby concludes: “Many manufacturers need to quickly ramp up production to cope with the current situation – while also reducing manual input from operators to support social distancing measures. So, whether we like it or not, automation is the answer to many of our immediate production needs. When combined with the latest process improvement software, whether that is PAT- based solutions such as synTQ or various SCADA, AI, MES and ERP solutions, the benefi ts for producers are substantial. We want to do what we can to help businesses in these challenging times, and would like to invite anyone interested in an automation upgrade, especially from a highly regulated industry, to contact us to discuss how we can support them.”
CONTACT:
Optimal Industrial Automation Limited
www.optimal-ltd.co.uk
automationmagazine.co.uk
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