In this last period of time you can hear him talking about Smart working, remote working, teleworking. Excellent procedures, which we use a lot, for people but who has a production system and machinery to follow what can do ? The biggest problem these days has been the stop of the production departments or the increased risk of people who cannot work from home to follow the production. These problems, in our opinion, could be easily solved thanks to the implementation of Industry 4.0.
The machine tool and plant sector has always distinguished itself in Italy for its quality production offer. Its presence has been fundamental for the success of Italian manufacturing on an international level and for the development of our country’s industry. Today many digital technologies can be applied in order to innovate both internal and collaborative processes:
Sensors and TAGs active in factory processes and industrial products
The “building blocks” of industry 4.0 start from advanced sensor technology that provides real-time information on the status of the production process. The turning point, however, is now in the ability to connect every phase of the factory, networking data and creating new possibilities for control and execution of commands, even remotely, even through an App on your smartphone.
Remote monitoring
Through remote monitoring and control of machinery, creating a continuous flow of information, manufacturers can implement:
- Reactive maintenancee. remote problem analysis through help desk support;
- Predictive / proactive maintenance:it is carried out following the identification of one or more parameters that are measured and extrapolated using appropriate mathematical models in order to identify the remaining time before failure;
- Analysis of product quality and customer behaviour;
- Safety managementfor example in the processes of tampering and authorized maintenance control.
Augmented reality in maintenance processes
Augmented reality aims to support the identification of the correct working procedures, the tools to be used. The automatic systems allow, once worn and connected, the retrieval of information, diagrams, drawings, codes, useful to improve field activities. Everything happens in full autonomy, thanks to increasingly sophisticated algorithms for the digital recognition of images, able to identify in context and objects on which you are working, and to react accordingly. In the case of remote assistance, a remote specialist uses his expertise in a given field to facilitate the work of the technician. The two interact effectively thanks to the possibility of combining the obsolete verbal communication with some visual interactions. For example, the specialist can impose symbols in the operator’s field of vision to guide the operations to be performed. Thanks to the use of smartglasses and hands-free devices, the technician receives this type of aid while maintaining maximum freedom of action.
A 3D environment to show the technical characteristics of industrial machinery
Industrial machinery can come to life in a unique and memorable 3D environment both as a native app for smartphones and tablets compatible with all devices and on your website. Immersive 3D interaction reinforces your customers’ emotional experience, bringing your content to life online, in social networks or at trade shows, increasing customer engagement and sales.
Publish and spread your product as a native app and on your website to give your customers a unique experience on all their smartphones, tablets and computers.
From anywhere in the world and H24 your exhibition booth can be accessed with a click and the customer can try out the features of your product.
From product to service – The subscription model
The Industry 4.0 model is not only focused on the recovery of efficiency in production processes, but realizes the most important impact in the evolution from the supply of products to extended services. The impact of digital is changing customer behavior, increasingly shifting consumption patterns from a product logic (single purchase) to a service logic (subscription). Value is shifting from product to service. This is demonstrated by innovative ecosystems such as Apple’s iTunes, Amazon’s Kindle.
Moving towards a service business should by now be a priority for any company of any size, whatever its core business: the evolution of the offer appears to be in the footsteps of a new generation.
Embracing a service business means redirecting sales, production, research, every department of the company: market positioning changes, marketing changes and the way the company proposes itself, production, design and prototyping also change.
The management of Big Data
The processing and analysis of huge amounts of data at ever lower costs (low cost sensor technology and cloud computing) allows better decisions and forecasts on production and consumption and the development of on-demand production systems with the ability to respond to the consumer in a personalized and immediate way. Predictive analytics systems represent the next step in the implementation of business intelligence systems. The latter provide the baseline for the development of predictive models. Such models can be integrated with data from sources not yet present in corporate BI, perhaps through self-service BI tools. Predictive analytics are able to provide competitive advantages to those who adopt them, since they are able to create a tangible reduction in costs and/or an increase in revenues, thanks in particular to a better allocation of resources (marketing, logistics, …) or a faster identification of problems (fraudulent behavior, machine failures, …).
