Automation in manufacturing and Industry 4.0 technologies are becoming more popular as manufacturers explore ways to boost productivity and minimize costs. In this post, we’ll examine what automation in manufacturing is and how it may transform the industry. So, let’s proceed.
What is Automation in Manufacturing?
Automation in manufacturing refers to using various machinery, production management technology, and robotic tools to automate multiple production processes or systems.
These solutions are constructed to carry out processes, such as production planning, processing, assembly, inspection, and inventory management, all areas where businesses may benefit from assistance. The ultimate objective is to achieve better efficiency, which may be accomplished by either expanding production capacity or cutting costs, and often by doing both.
Because 76% of manufacturers utilize automation to boost their factory floor’s efficiency as a fundamental strategy for growth, it has become vital to consider automation in manufacturing.
How Automation in Manufacturing Revolutionizes the Industry
Internet of Things (IoT) has become a worldwide technology revolutionizing processes through manufacturing automation. In manufacturing, IoT devices or a network of sensors collect production data, store it in the cloud, and apply analytics to get insight. The IoT has simplified manufacturing automation, but its commercial advantages are unknown.
Along similar lines, the following paragraphs examine some of the significant advantages of automation in manufacturing and how IoT helps achieve them. So, let’s get started.
1) Control of the Product’s Quality
Manufacturing firms must check product quality before dispatch. Without automation, human workers must manually examine products for defects. Automation in manufacturing distributes high-quality products in the market; IoT automates quality control. Video and thermal sensors monitor product quality at each step of its life cycle without human intervention.
The quality of automated product manufacture is monitored by environmental variables (humidity, temperature), machine settings (vibration, speed, etc.), and equipment calibration. Suppose an IoT sensor’s reading reaches a level that might cause a product fault. In that case, the automated quality monitoring system provides warnings and identifies the issue’s source. The solution lets manufacturers repair quality errors and decrease low-quality product manufacturing.
2) An Efficient Schedule for Maintenance
Manufacturers usually establish a maintenance plan depending on time. But the ARC group found that 18% of equipment failures are age-related, whereas 82% are random. So, time-based maintenance schedules are neither cost-effective nor efficient. For predictive maintenance, businesses may employ data science, industrial IoT, and hence automation in manufacturing.
Attaching IoT sensors to equipment may help detect when maintenance is needed. Prompt repair and equipment services may make maintenance more efficient, save money, reduce downtime, and simplify task allocation. This predictive maintenance modeling can help managers detect system anomalies and perform root cause analyses to avert production delays and equipment failure. Consequently, the IoT automates production and helps maintain heavy equipment.
3) Effective Management of the Inventory
Manufacturing companies have highly automated inventory management methods. But without IoT devices, automation in manufacturing or inventory management is inefficient. Here, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) simplifies and streamlines inventory management. An RFID tag is placed on every item in the inventory containing digital product information inside a unique identification number (UID). IoT converts RFID data into useful information.
For example, the automated inventory management architecture can compute the type and amount of raw materials needed to complete the product life cycle based on inventory location and quantity data. Eventually, this cuts waste and costs. With the help of IoT, supply chain managers have total transparency regarding work-in-progress, raw material arrival, accurate material forecasts, etc. It enhances product handling and manufacturing material processing.
Final Words
The manufacturing industry is at the vanguard of a technological transformation that is being pushed not only by the deployment of robots but also by artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). If you can successfully implement these technologies, you can optimize your entire production process, deliver a substantial return on investment, and consistently outperform other companies in your industry. Together, these technologies have completely reshaped our understanding of what is possible with automation in manufacturing.
Whether it be PLC Programming, robotic programming, or automation project management SS Automation is here to help. Please do not hesitate to contact us a support@ssautomationllc.com for all of your industrial automation needs.
Your insights on automation in manufacturing are truly enlightening. The article highlights how innovative technology is revolutionizing the industry. A must-read for industry professionals.