Industry 4.0 is already part of the present, dynamising the manufacturing sector and optimising it to the maximum, challenging the traditional industrial system.Smart manufacturing scenarios are created to achieve a high level of integration between machines and information systems, through the optimisation of manufacturing processes.
What is Smart Manufacturing?
Smart Manufacturing is an English term that refers to the digitalisation of a factory and the connection of each and every one of the elements that make it up. Data is collected through sensors, stored in the cloud and processed at breakneck speed.
Thanks to the analysis of this massive amount of data, valuable information is extracted and truly effective and useful decisions are formulated for the company.
Through the installation of systems (hardware and software), it is possible to connect absolutely everything: machines, sensors, production programmes, etc.
Characteristics of Smart Manufacturing
The processes integrated in Smart Manufacturing have real-time information, enhance control and base part of them on automation.
However, what characterises this set of systems? According to McKinsey, smart factories are based on 4 fundamental technological pillars:
1. Connectivity, data and computational power. This includes IoT, Cloud Monitoring with MES or ERSP tools, and Blockchain.
2. Analytics and intelligence. This feature encompasses fully evolved data analysis, thanks to Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Deep Learning.
3. Genuine human-machine interaction. Virtual reality, robotics and automation at the service of human needs.
4. Activity Tracking.Improvement of processes to make necessary changes and improve productivity.
On the other hand, to carry out Smart Manufacturing, it is necessary to cover the 4 main areas of Factory 4.0: materials, quality, maintenance and production. Bringing these four branches of industry closer to users, in an intelligent and systematised way, will considerably reduce costs and production times, opening up the possibility of designing strategies and outlining outstanding decisions for the future.
Why Modern day Factories should adopt Industry 4.0 ?
What is the Smart Manufacturing process?
The starting point of this process begins by finding the common ground between the customer