automation Q


if an organisation is thinking of


establishing a digital thread, What sort of


projects could they


identify Where it can be easily implemented and provide value?


Start with the ethos “Don’t boil the ocean.” Every important upgrade in a production line is


something that an enterprise must plan and execute with a series of short and mid-to-long term goals. There is no need to go from zero to 100 in a blink of an eye, albeit it is important to understand and appreciate that the “already” digital industrial organisations outperform their non digital counterparts in both revenue and profit. Thus, start small, scale fast and iterate with results and learnings. Thereby, it is important to focus on the change of


mindset prior to investing heavily in technology. We must remember that technology is an enablement piece and not the driver, your business outcomes and goals related to production, assets, compliance, sustainability, etc. should drive both business and technological decisions. Breaking these down to highlight a few vital relevant process areas to improve with clear objectives and start with small projects that can show immediate returns. Keep in mind that marathon runners do not get


Q


off the couch one day and run 26.2 miles without training; similarly, when it comes to bringing IT and OT closer together, it pays to walk before you run.


can you give an example of Where


establishing a digital thread has helped a


company move toWards an autonomous factory?


Pfizer, the well-known pharma company, produces more than 23 billion doses of medicine every year across its network of 42 global manufacturing sites. Those global operations set out on a new journey


in 2016 and the goal was transforming operations into a seamless, data-driven insight engine that drives world-class performance. But this would be no simple task. Pfizer


manufacturing facilities, representing a heritage of more than 30 legacy pharmaceutical companies, had a diverse ecosystem of systems and datasets, as well as differing process and equipment standards. Insights were difficult to ascertain. While its digital transformation journey continues,


Pfizer Global Supply has documented major improvements in areas like cycle time, manufacturing throughput and yield, and right-first-time quality. At just one manufacturing site, the digital


transformation program has been credited with enabling the manufacture of more than three million additional doses of one product above what was planned. And it is important to remember that this digital thread journey started way before the pandemic situation exploded, and you can imagine without those important digital upgrades, the entire vaccine production process would undoubtedly have been slower and more complex.


UKManufacturing Summer 2022 Q With many


manufacturers using legacy equipment, hoW Would they go


about obtaining data


from their machinery to enable a digital thread?


Digital transformation for legacy systems and of entire brownfield sites, is the biggest business opportunity. And one of the most important strategic investments an organisation can make. In fact, legacy technology is an enabler of digital


transformation, not an obstacle, and can serve a critical function in your transformation strategy. “Data is the new oil” holds true when


modernising and investing in legacy equipment with IIoT connectivity modules, either via external off the shelf sensors and/or latest embedded SW with updated protocols and data mapping capabilities. After a first evaluation, you can have a good idea


Q


of where, what and how to exploit plant-wide connection points to bring the hidden data to use. Rockwell’s DNA in the automation industry along with digital capability and solution’s portfolio is primed and providing our customers the detail behind the “why” something is happening along with an analytics engine that tracks data over time to help predict future events before they happen; Connect- Automate-Synchronise-Analyse is our power to unlock a smart factory and smarter manufacturing.


is a digital thread


useful to organisations beyond the manufacturing


floor and, if so, hoW?


Picture this: One manufacturing plant has a scrap rate of 10 per cent. You might look at this data and aim to hit an eight per cent scrap rate within one year. Or you can look at the portfolio of sites, find out that the best demonstrated performance is a site with a scrap rate of three per cent, use the data to find out why that site is so efficient, and apply that data across the entire enterprise for rapid transformation. The key point here is that digital transformation


is a business outcome, rather than a collection of technology tools to be applied exclusively in the manufacturing floor. Strive to showcase the benefits of digital transformation across the entire organisation, not just in a single group. By implementing digital transformation across


numerous touchpoints, you will gain more information. The more information you have, the more you


can broadcast your digital transformation successes to the rest of the enterprise. Mitigate siloed digital transformation by


budgeting at the corporate level – not at the individual site – to cultivate growth across the entire enterprise. This increased visibility enables our customers to make the most of their data by benchmarking and cost reviewing individual groups against each other, leading to truly transformative results.


It has been an age-old dream of manufacturers to use a set-and-forget mindset for production. Autonomous manufacturing is a methodology where fully automated lines require no human presence so that the lights and even ventilation can be shut off. Simply show up to work (or remotely) set the machines and programs in motion, flip off the lights, and head out the door. Just machines doing what they do best - accurate, repeated tasks at faster speeds than their human counterparts. Leaders should never be comfortable with


the status quo if they can unlock advantages and reach new heights. If digital transformation is the ultimate industry opportunity of the day, it does not have to be the most difficult to implement. Approach transformation with open arms, embrace change and enjoy the journey. We are already in strategic discussions about


Industry 5.0 and the prospects it brings. The future of digital X has already begun. Technologies exist. Bringing humans and machines closer together, where personalisation will be the key to success. And people together with the vision and empowerment and willing to take the next steps (like going to Mars!) in manufacturing are already making waves.


Rockwell Automation www.rockwellautomation.com


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At Rockwell, we have spent the last decade building the industry’s most comprehensive digital thread portfolio and capability on a unified, open architecture. We have prioritised integration with best-in-breed partner solutions to capture information from the entire production lifecycle bringing a connected enterprise to life. Our approach enables collaborators from


across the value chain to capitalise on information captured earlier in the production process and hasten innovation from concept to reality. Instead of taking a foundational approach focused on technical implementation capabilities, we prioritise delivering tangible outcomes on high-value use cases. We have built a comprehensive portfolio to deliver best-in-class services via our consulting arm to ensure customer meets their business objectives. With this methodology, our teams drive


projects to maximum value to prove return on investment before scaling capabilities to further applications. Taking a value and outcomes driven approach, delivered by domain expertise, technologist and latest technological capabilities.


Q What do you see as


the future of digital threads, digital tWins and autonomous


factories? Q are there companies


that provide services to help build digital threads?


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