The goal of such a plant is, among other things, to continuously collect and exchange data. Thanks to the amount of data available, decisions can be made and processes improved with the help of the right software solution. At the same time, this approach allows the use of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, Big Data analytics and the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT).
What is smart manufacturing? This question is best answered by looking at the benefits and principles of the smart factory. Among said benefits are:
The basis for a smart manufacturing process is the use of networked plants and devices. The data collected here can be used for evidence-based decision-making.
For smart factory applications to reach their full potential, processes such as machine learning are also of great importance. They provide a long-term competitive advantage by supporting every area of production. This is precisely why connectivity, data analytics and diagnostics are key principles of the smart factory.
The definition of smart manufacturing always refers to the 4 levels of the smart factory. They are the basis for the targeted improvement process and are not only necessary for the smart factory itself. Rather, they are also the basis for an aimed smart warehousing.
The technologies of the smart digital factory require a comprehensive overview of the tasks at hand. Numerous data are necessary for this. Although collecting all relevant operational data does not yet make the factory smart, this step is absolutely necessary. At this stage, it is not about analyzing the production processes.
The data collected at Level 1 is used by smart factory solutions to perform comprehensive data analysis. The reason for this is that the operational data at this level is available in a structured and comprehensible form. Central data storage also makes it possible to visualize different statuses. However, companies should bear in mind that a proactive analysis is very costly.
In the next step, company data can be analyzed with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. No human interaction is required for this – instead, the smart factory industry 4.0 systems take care of it themselves. Greater automation than at level 2 also helps to predict problems and anomalies.
At this level of the smart connected factory, systems can independently find solutions to problems and take action. Human intervention is thus reduced to a minimum.
Frontline is a fully integrated augmented reality solution. Frontline improves manual work processes across industries on the basis of the latest wearable computing technologies. Frontline is designed to consciously empower the human worker in an increasingly digitized working environment.
For a simple factory to become a smart factory, first, a detailed analysis of the key areas is necessary. This provides information on which processes or equipment should be improved first. The full implementation of tools such as smart glasses or sensors, on the other hand, takes place over time. Finally, the introduction of new technologies requires extensive training of personnel.
Particularly important in the implementation of smart factory solutions is the collaboration between IT specialists and management. Both must implement the plan for digitization step by step.
Moreover, the greater the volume of data, the easier it is to increase accuracy and detect errors.
This is fundamentally cheaper than traditional storage and also increases flexibility in decision making.
This is a way to simulate processes or physical objects and their performance. This can be used to infer the efficiency and profitability of individual approaches.
They can thus be used for monitoring purposes, for example, to warn personnel of impending problems.
Technologies such as AR can also be used via smartphones to make production even more effective. At the same time, such approaches help to complete numerous production tasks faster and better.
Tip: Here you can read more about the differences between augmented reality (AR) vs. virtual reality (VR).
Smart factory technology is based on computers and digital systems that require special cyber security. In particular, data protection and privacy are especially important. Therefore, security should be given a high priority when setting up the smart factory. This can be achieved, for example, by using tested software that implements basic and standardized security mechanism
There are numerous software solutions for the smart factory — including TeamViewer’s fully integrated augmented reality solution Frontline. This software helps companies improve cross-industry and manual work processes. The basis for this is modern wearable computing technology. It ensures that people can increasingly interact with the digitized work environment and use the collected data.
The result: In the Smart Factory, inspection times can be shortened, changeover times reduced and rework avoided.