The thing about smart factory

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Smart manufacturing is a broad concept; it cannot be implemented directly in a production process. It is a combination of various technologies and solutions which collectively if implemented in a manufacturing ecosystem, is termed smart manufacturing. We call these technologies and solutions enablers, which help optimize the entire manufacturing process and thus increase overall profits.

Companies are constantly investing and exploring how to obtain benefits through the implementation of enablers. If we closely look at enablers, we will observe that they generate data, accepting data. Data analysis will help in making the production process efficient, transparent, and flexible.

The industrial internet of things (IIoT) is nothing but an ecosystem where every device, machine, or process is connected through data communication systems. Each machine and piece of industrial equipment is embedded or connected with sensors that generate relevant data. That is further transferred to the cloud and software systems through data communication systems. This huge amount of data has lots of insight that, if analyzed, may help identify certain dark areas within the production process. After analyzing the data, it is sent as feedback to the production systems for any corrective action.

There is huge potential for IIoT in smart manufacturing. You cannot increase production beyond certain limits, so what do you do to improve your profits? You can not increase production because there is no demand for that. So, you try to look at the backend process and make it efficient. Now, this is possible only when you have the precise details about your production process. That is where IIoT comes into the picture. Sensor generating data can be implemented at each production process so that you can get the data, analyze it and take corrective action to increase the efficiency, thus increasing profitability.

However, it is not easy to implement IIoT in current and old organizations, but you can implement it in newly established manufacturing facilities. That is because results can only be achieved if the smart manufacturing concept is implemented right from the start of the design process for a manufacturing facility.

Smart manufacturing is not widely implemented; however, it is there in bits and pieces in some organizations. You can not change the basic design of machines or a factory system to implement all those sensors and other related technology. That makes the implementation of IoT in current or old manufacturing facilities a bit difficult and impossible.

Major forces driving IoT in the manufacturing market are the growing need for centralized monitoring and predictive maintenance of manufacturing infrastructure. The increasing demand for agile production, operational efficiency and control, demand-driven supply chain, and connected logistics are also expected to drive the market.

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