Success in the industrial sector and manufacturing often comes down to embracing new technology without trend-chasing for the sake of trend-chasing. Sadly, this is a trap that mid-level manufacturers can fall into as they try to adopt new tools without fully understanding how to make them work for their specific needs.
This is especially true for smart factories, one of the key talking points of Industry 4.0. For a mid-level manufacturer (a company that employs roughly 50 to 500 workers and has an annual revenue between $10 million and $1 billion), a smart factory can reap numerous benefits, ranging from greater productivity to a safer work environment, but it requires thoughtful implementation and the right equipment, such as rugged industrial computers, to support such an effort.
Key Principles of Smart Factories
First, we should answer the question of “what is a smart factory?” Smart factories are more than just automated assembly lines, robotics, or computer-controlled CNC machinery. What truly distinguishes a smart factory is how it handles information and uses it to improve its operations.
Data Availability
First, operating a smart factory requires collecting data from every point of the manufacturing process. This requires more than reports written by employees and a manager’s intuition; it involves automated sensors measuring everything from how long it takes for a product to reach the end of an assembly line, to how many work cycles a machine goes between breaking down, to countless other factors.
Data Analysis
Once information has been collected, it must then be analyzed to develop conclusions and formulate a plan for the future. This step involves using frameworks such as Overall Equipment Effectiveness to gauge the factory’s performance, or high-powered machine learning and AI to identify patterns in vast amounts of data.
This analysis can identify issues such as inefficient workflows or unreliable machinery, which factory managers can then begin to address with…
Action Based on Analysis
Analysis is useless if it is not accompanied by corrective action. This often takes the form of adjusting work procedures, changing machinery settings to operate faster or with less stress on components, or adjusting which components are used to reduce the number of defective products.
Smart Factories vs. Smart Manufacturing: What’s the Difference?
While we’re discussing the principles of smart factories, it helps to distinguish smart factories from smart manufacturing. Smart manufacturing refers to the application of advanced digital technologies such as cloud computing, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT), and robots to achieve better results. Smart factories are the physical spaces where these ideas are put into use.
What Technologies do Smart Factories Use?
Principles are just ideas, however. Modern hardware and software are needed to execute on the promise of smart factories, with the most important being:
Sensors and Gateways
Obviously, you need the physical means of gathering data in the first place. In industrial settings, this takes the form of sensors and gateways that track parameters such as how many products pass through an assembly line, what speed machines are operating at, what temperatures they’re reaching, and more. This gives mid-level manufacturers the information they need to adjust their efforts appropriately.
Industrial Computers
The next step in this chain is industrial-grade computers that can gather and analyze this information. Smart factory computers are used in two different roles:
- Data Analysis: As previously mentioned, this role entails sifting through large quantities of data from a machine or multiple machines on the factory floor to develop insights and formulate a course of action.
- Device control and communication: Industrial all-in-one computers are often used as a control interface for machinery, thanks to their touchscreen doubling as both a display and a way to input commands on the machine. Their variety of wired and wireless connectivity options also lets them transmit and receive information from other devices both inside and outside the factory.
Because they operate in close proximity to running machinery, these computers must withstand threats such as constant harsh vibrations and extreme temperatures. These threats can easily damage or destroy a consumer-grade computer, rendering the assembly line nonfunctional and undermining the point of a smart factory in the first place.
For this reason, these computers should be truly industrial-grade and tested to meet international standards for reliability, such as IEC 60068. These standards, which measure everything ranging from vibration resistance to heat tolerance to salt fog exposure, help ensure an industrial computer is ready for its intended work environment.
Automated Systems and Robotics
While many data-driven decisions require human approval, minor tweaks or adjustments can be implemented automatically through digitally-connected systems. Automated systems and robots can speed up or slow down their workpace without requiring a human’s approval, letting companies maximize their efficiency. If a design change or workflow alteration is implemented, robotic arms can be easily reprogrammed to accommodate it.
These automated systems are also critical for safety and emergency response. If one section of an assembly line breaks down, automated systems can halt their production as well to prevent a failure cascade from occurring.
Benefits of Smart Factories
By implementing smart factory computers and technology, businesses can reap a broad range of benefits, from more efficient and flexible operations to lower costs and less waste.
Greater Productivity and Efficiency
Smart technology allows production lines to run autonomously, requiring fewer inputs or adjustments from workers. If a section of the assembly line needs to speed up or slow down to accommodate changes in other parts of the line, it can do so automatically, preventing any potential blockages or buildups in unfinished products.
The data analysis enabled by smart factories also leads to faster, better-informed decisions. With a deeper understanding of their own operations, manufacturers can develop more accurate forecasts of their industry and respond to new trends or technological innovations more quickly.
Sustainability and Safety
As previously mentioned, automated systems can spring into action during an accident and prevent further damage long before humans can react to the situation (this is why we have things like fire alarms and automated suppression systems).
By using raw materials and power more efficiently, smart factories also help manufacturers reduce their environmental impact. This means less electricity spent, less waste material going into landfills, and a lower carbon footprint.
Product Quality and Customer Experience
The ability to integrate design changes means manufacturers can react to customer feedback and address any issues that much more quickly. In turn, manufacturers can correct design issues and reconfigure production lines in a fraction of the time it used to take, leading to higher-quality products and better overall customer satisfaction.
This is especially important for mid-level manufacturers, who often operate in smaller, more niche markets where a healthy reputation and strong relationship with their customers is absolutely critical.
Implement Smart Technology in Your Factory With Cybernet Manufacturing
With smart factory computers and technology integrated into their operations, mid-level manufacturers can compete with larger businesses by being more flexible with their production process and adapting to changes in the market and their supply chain.
Want to learn more about how the right industrial computer can transform your manufacturing process? Contact the experts at Cybernet Manufacturing. Our range of all-in-one and mini industrial PCs is designed and tested specifically for harsh work environments, and our experience as an original equipment manufacturer means we can customize our products to better suit your needs.