Manufacturing
The world today is witnessing the roll-out of Industry 4.0 with the emergence of IT driven Smart Manufacturing which utilizes robotics and big data analytics to refine complicated processes and manage extensive supply chain networks.
Smart Manufacturing allows machines, devices, sensors, and people to connect and communicate with each other via the Internet of Things (IoT), and the Internet of People (IoP). This is transforming the manufacturing sector and enabling businesses to improve efficiency, reduce costs, increase productivity and achieve new levels of performance and competitiveness.
Robotics enables smart machines to work with humans for co-assembly tasks. Industrial robots use sensory input to identify actions required of them. They are capable of solving problems and making decisions independent of people. They have artificial intelligence that allows them to go beyond what they were initially programmed for and learn from experience.
Smart Manufacturing provides high levels of adaptability and allows rapid changes in design and production volumes based on demand, while suitably optimizing of the supply chain.
These machines are flexible and can be reconfigured and re-purposed. This gives them the ability to respond rapidly to design changes and innovation, giving companies a competitive advantage over those following a more traditional manufacturing processes. Smart machines also reduce operational hazards.
Cloud computing allows storage of vast amounts of data and offers computational power that could only be imagined a few years ago. When applied to manufacturing, this allows enterprises to capture large amounts of data on machine performance, output quality and other KPIs using embedded sensors, and enables them to make process/design changes based on market demand. It also predicts maintenance requirements, enabling organizations to avoid breakdowns and save on repair costs.
