automation


Picking uP the digital thread


Q


tHe term ‘industry 4.0’ Has been around for a long time, but it is witH tHe pandemic tHat we Have seen a real acceleration in


tHe uptake of automation tecH in tHe uk. wHy is tHis tHe case?


It is well known that the pandemic exposed critical business challenges around shortage of skilled workers, supply chain disruption, cyber security, and flexible production. Manufacturers are having to quickly scale up both vertically and horizontally, i.e., acquire newer capabilities while creating greater transparency throughout their production and in some cases, pivot to create products they have never worked on before. But this trend is not completely new. Over the


years, we have seen manufacturers trying to adapt and adopt, in step-by-step approach, with rapidly changing customer demands. The crisis has simply made this kind of adaptability, and the ability to analyse and track the processes, more important. For example, several consumer goods


manufacturers have recently changed the way they design and produce their product lines, so they can update orders for their customers every three to six months. And those are not isolated cases – across the manufacturing sector, we are seeing manufacturers develop a much closer connection to customers. They are producing more customised products, in shorter runs and smaller orders. And this is only one of the reasons: supply chain


issues, travel limitations and many more side reasons are affecting the industrial world. Today, working remotely on a new production line is not only an alternative, but it may also be the only chance you have to get the task done.


Q 40 wHat is a digital


tHread and How is it connected to


autonomous factories?


Nowadays, digital technologies and capabilities have the power to fundamentally change the way organisations discover, design, create, update, and sell products. The foundation of


digital transformation is a connected enterprise production system, a holistic systems approach that unites and integrates all levels of manufacturing, all way from the shop floor to the top floor. Bringing the underlying, previously hidden


data to life i.e., extracting it from where it was born (OT) to now be able to put together alongside all layers of manufacturing through the latest advancement in technology (IT), is a digital thread. This convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) results in threading of information that enables better, more insightful, data driven decision making through a centralised hub, placed at the center of the entire value chain. Autonomous or “lights-out” factories are


simply a result of a highly automated, interconnected, smar t and integrated manufacturing processes that are truly exploiting the available digital technologies (machine vision, IoT, cloud computing, edge analytics, and many more) to achieve a higher level of efficiency. Both digital thread and autonomous


Q


factories are a living, real-time record of the evolution of your entire value chain – from product design to customer insights, from plant to end user – providing visibility into their past, present, and future state.


wHat is tHe


connection between a digital tHread and a digital twin?


When a physical asset – product, machine, component, or system – exists alongside its digital equivalent, they are Digital Twins. Linked together so that operations and changes in one are reflected in the other, Digital Twins can be utilised at any stage throughout the lifecycle, baselining from machine building to the production process, and for maintenance and training. By uniting and continuously communicating


changes between various digital twin models, digital thread unlocks new possibilities in product development and lifecycle management, alongside real time


Q&a


The idea of autonomous operations for manufacturing facilities has been on the agenda for several decades but, with the maturation of Industry 4.0 technologies, what was once an aspirational ideology has become very tangible, especially as companies form post-pandemic recovery strategies. UK Manufacturing recently caught up with Sachin Mathur, EMEA software and control director at Rockwell Automation, to find out how establishing the digital thread acts as a foundation for the autonomous factory.


manufacturing operations. These intelligent, data rich digital twin


simulations reduce the risk in testing operational changes and enhance the time needed to reach operational efficiency goals. Digital thread is the key to accelerating innovation, maximising workforce productivity, optimising operations, and building agility and resiliency. The digital thread is parallelising automated


updates on all the related applications when a physical update is made to a cer tain device or product.


Q How does a


manufacturer go about establisHing a digital tHread?


We must approach the topic to digital thread like any new business initiative and strategic investment. Digital (thread) Transformation does not have to be the challenge we often perceive it to be. Especially once you take a closer look and


realise that transformation is not just about deploying modern technology, but more importantly about putting the right plan in place based on outcomes, securing executive support, and developing the right talent. New digital technologies have transformed


the way enterprises engage with customers, gather intelligence, and do business. However, it is more than just becoming digital – it is about remodelling the business approach to improve efficiency, reshaping processes and remodeling a culture of continuous improvement. This is key to successful transformation. It is about keeping your strategy on track, being adaptable and leveraging the opportunities innate in the increasingly digitized world we live in. We have been long-term partners for our


customers through their major journeys, from automation to machine safety, and are committed to supporting the digital enablement of an organisation. Rockwell Automation has been investing heavily to help our customers stay ahead of the curve in Digital Thread.


Summer 2022 UKManufacturing


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