The world is in the midst of a Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0). This is a digital evolution of manufacturing processing technology and the creation of intelligent factories, leading to increased productivity, efficiency, and flexibility. This enables more intelligent decision-making and customization in manufacturing and supply chain operations. Supporting technological advancements include the Internet of Things (IoT), The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and Cyber-Physical systems (CPS) to name a few. Key events have caused this rapid transformation in manufacturing processes. A few include technological advancements, evolving consumer requirements, and the COVID-19 pandemic. All of these factors have served as catalysts for global change. Manufacturers today are maintaining a competitive advantage and overcoming challenges by making agility and adaptability a new everyday workplace staple. One major trend to make note of is smart manufacturing.
Define Smart Manufacturing
Further, The Smart Manufacturing Leadership Consortium (SMLC), defines smart manufacturing. “The ability to solve existing and future problems via an open infrastructure that allows solutions to be implemented at the speed of business while creating advantaged value.” The combination of modern data science and artificial intelligence creates a knowledgeable, empowered industrial enterprise where all organizations and operating systems are linked, leading to increased efficiency, sustainability, and economic performance. The top 5 leading companies implementing Smart Manufacturing right now include ABB, Honeywell, Siemens, Schneider Electric, Mitsubishi Electric and Honeywell.
What Are the Benefits?
Smart manufacturing offers several benefits. Here are some:
- Save money: Optimizes productivity and better access to supply chain and production data which increases forecast accuracy, reducing waste, defect reduction, and reduced operational costs, thus higher profitability overall
- Make better decisions- Real-time data supports more informed decisions
- Improved productivity: Highly agile, the organization does not slow down with change as it quickly adapts to changing market demands and production requirements
- High-quality products: Quality issues are quickly addressed and solved, leaving room for flaws left unfixed as well as continuing innovation
- Jobs: Increased opportunities for skilled jobs in areas like data analysis, automation, and maintenance
- Energy efficiency: By optimizing processes and reducing waste, smart manufacturing contributes to energy savings and environmental sustainability
- Personalization: Highly customized products are produced due to the ability for mass customization
How Smart Manufacturing is Impacting the Fluid Power Industry
Smart Technology impacts the way the fluid power industry approaches maintenance today. An example of how it is shifting the fluid power industry to proactive rather than reactive maintenance is explained in an excerpt from The Impact of Smart Manufacturing on Maintenance Practices by Eric Whitley, a writer for The Fluid Power Journal. “This approach leverages the power of IoT sensors embedded in hydraulic systems, which collect real-time data on a multitude of parameters, such as pressure, temperature, and flow rate. This wealth of data is then processed by AI algorithms, which can identify subtle patterns and anomalies indicating system failures”. By catching issues immediately, costly mistakes, failures, and potential disruptions are eliminated. In the same article for The Fluid Power Journal, Whitley states, “An example is the implementation of predictive maintenance in an industrial pneumatic system. Historical data showed that the system was prone to unexpected pressure drops, leading to unscheduled halts in production. Using AI-driven predictive analysis, engineers were able to predict these events before they occurred, managing to reduce system downtime by 30%. This case underlines the transformative effect of smart manufacturing and predictive maintenance on fluid power systems”
Spectroline leak detection dye – the perfect partner for smart manufacturing
To remain competitive, industry leaders are embracing all things part of industry 4.0. This puts the focus on predictive maintenance, making reactivity a thing of the past. Spectroline Leak Detection UV fluorescent leak detection dyes そして tools have always been at the forefront when it comes to best practices to optimize productivity. Learn about the Spectroline Advantage 此処.
How to use spectroline leak detection technology in industrial systems
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