To keep pace, manufacturers must take a much more strategic, targeted approach to their adoption of digital, based on understanding the business outcomes they seek and the specific digital enablers that are best suited to help deliver them.
In the future suppliers, producers and clients will all be integrated and networked. Manufacturers are on a quest to establish the Digital Factory of the future. Some have made significant progress. Those manufacturers are at risk of being left behind as the race heats up and digital leaders parlay their strategic and operational advantage into stronger financial performance.
The race to embrace Digital Factory enablers—manufacturing capabilities that drive operational improvements through the innovative use of technology is now well under way.
How Digital Factory promises to revolutionizenot only manufacturing processes but manufacturers as well:
Digital Foundation: Layers of communication, data collection, monitoring, and control solutions that manage the shop floor execution of the factory.- Intelligent Automation and Control: Advanced communications and control abilities that enable real-time, autonomous, self-directed, decisions by production machines and products.
- Operations Analytics & Process Monitoring: Proactive analysis of micro/macro data to reveal trends/anomalies that alter decisions regarding reliability, technical operations, quality, safety, predictive maintenance, etc.
- Digital Safety & Energy Management: Safety solutions that monitor an individual’s location and exposure to hazards. Energy systems that monitor and control energy consumption.
- Mobility: Mobile solutions that capture, analyze, and communicate information to/from users and enable real-time execution of operations and fact-based decisions.
- Advanced Technologies: Digital enablement of manufacturing technologies including robotics, simulation, and 3D printing to drive hardware/software performance improvement.
- Engineering Collaboration: Digital designs that can be readily shared with production to enable networked products that move quickly/proactively from idea to launch.
- Digital Production System: A digital platform that captures internal/external experiences, knowledge, and best practices to drive continuous improvement of manufacturing operations across the network.
- Talent Development & Learning: Solutions to develop, update and re-skill workers, including on-line learning, recorded and real-time video, digital assistance, coaching, mentoring & new approaches to performance management.
- Manufacturing Control Tower: Operations monitoring/modeling, including suppliers and contract manufacturing, that facilitates focused, real-time decision making.
- Industrial Security: Threat prevention techniques and solutions that predict, detect, understand, and respond to mitigate risk across traditional IT platforms as well as physical OT assets.
Digital solutions application
A prime example is the Siemens’ award-winning electronics factory (EWA) in Amberg which demonstrates the key aspects of Industrie 4.0. Here, the company is already manufacturing products in the way that could one day become standard. Every year, the factory produces 12 million Simatic products, which are components for industrial control technology. Calculated on the basis of 230 work days per year, a product leaves the plant every second. This is made possible by a high degree of automation. With the exception of the setup, repair and maintenance work, virtually nothing is done manually at this plant.
A prime example is the Siemens’ award-winning electronics factory (EWA) in Amberg which demonstrates the key aspects of Industrie 4.0. Here, the company is already manufacturing products in the way that could one day become standard. Every year, the factory produces 12 million Simatic products, which are components for industrial control technology. Calculated on the basis of 230 work days per year, a product leaves the plant every second. This is made possible by a high degree of automation. With the exception of the setup, repair and maintenance work, virtually nothing is done manually at this plant.
Tremendous opportunities emerge when the virtual and real worlds unite. And these opportunities are paving the way for tremendous growth. By merging the worlds of virtual and real manufacturing, Siemens is boosting the efficiency and competitiveness of its customers.
Integrated solutions can improve manufacturing efficiency along the entire value chain. Moreover, intelligent industry software can help to simplify the manufacturing process – one integrated system can manage all steps, from conception to execution.
Change, inherently, creates challenges for any industry. The rapid changes we are experiencing today further ups the stakes for businesses. Focusing on the right opportunities and having a solid digital strategy will enable factories to stay ahead of the curve and find new ways to grow. Does your organisation need an effective digital transformation strategy? do contact Naazreen on 2331636 or via e-mail at naazreen.ghoorun@infosystems.mu .
