Manufacturing and technology sectors have not always seen eye to eye. Not any longer. Machines that were once siloed can now be ‘connected’ with plug-and-play technology.
They provide managers and machine operators with a connected view of the factory floor producing the data to see where process efficiencies can be achieved to maximise productivity. We are clearly in a new era.
There is no one specific technology to Industry 4.0 – rather a concept that leverages tools like machine learning, robotics and data
analytics to get the job done. This means manufacturers are being presented with more technology and an opportunity to unlock the data that was once ‘hidden’ within the machines themselves.
The concept emphasises the importance of connecting machines and providing full factory floor visibility which helps manufacturers to cut costs, reduce downtimes and increase productivity.
Data analytics is just one of the many advancements that is changing the face of manufacturing. With so much information at their fingertips, manufacturers are finding themselves in positions where they can finally move away from making operational and strategic decisions based on opinion, and ‘gut feel’ and start to utilise the data that is available from their machines to make informed, confident decisions to achieve operational excellence and a stronger future.
