FOCUS ON MANUFACTURING manufacturing operations up and down the supply chain . At the same time , manufacturers need to be on the lookout for new cybersecurity reporting requirements .
“ Embracing digital technology also potentially increases the threat of cybercriminals and hackers . From criminal gangs to nation-state players , cyberattacks are increasingly well-resourced and highly targeted . Thriving and surviving in the new economy means keeping one eye on threat vectors and ensuring that cybersecurity considerations are embedded in strategic planning ,” outlined Dassault Systèmes .
Digital Twins
Manufacturers should embed cyber security in their strategic planning .
at the end of their life . This then allows us to extend product lifetimes , adding multiple lives to the same initial product through improved refurbishing , recycling and reuse techniques . It ’ s about embedding circular practices .”
Modularity
“ Adopting modular approaches for everything , from arranging the factory floor to your supply chain operations , allows manufacturers to improve speed and agility , scale rapidly and better meet the shift to more personalised products ,” commented Dassault Systèmes .
Many machine-tool manufacturers have also adopted this philosophy for machine-tool construction and a more customised approach .
The Industrial Internet of Things ( IIoT )
The Industrial Internet of ThingsT ( IIoT ) refers to the extension of IoT to industrial applications and is a leading manufacturing trend for 2023 . The growth of industrial IoT applications is helping to transform the factory floor , making manufacturing operations smarter and more efficient while generating a huge amount of highly valuable data . This information enables the development and implementation of predictive maintenance techniques , as well as the ability to model more effective operational approaches .
“ IIoT , which entails the interconnection of unique devices within an existing internet infrastructure , has enabled manufacturers to make informed , strategic decisions using realtime data and achieve a wide variety of goals including cost reduction , enhanced efficiency , improved safety , product innovation and more ,” commented HITACHI Solutions .
Applications include remotely monitoring equipment performance in real-time and comparing those metrics against established key performance indicators ( KPIs ) to gauge overall equipment effectiveness ( OEE ); predictive maintenance and remote analysis on equipment to identify potential issues before a malfunction occurs . It is also used for monitoring production , enhancing traceability and integrating complex systems as well as overall analytics .
Big Data
The explosion of data generation and manipulation in factories is also ushering in a new era of industry transformation and operational optimisation , radically changing how these factories are managed .
“ Sustained interest in IIoT , growing emphasis on predictive resolution and the industry-wide shift toward Product as a Service means Big Data is bigger than ever . The ability to collect data from an ever-growing number of sources , combined with efforts to modernise systems and increasingly powerful analytics capabilities , makes it possible for manufacturers to slice and dice data in ways that provide them with a comprehensive understanding of their business ,” explained HITACHI Solutions .
“ With access to these insights , manufacturing companies can engage in more data-driven decision-making around sourcing , production , fulfilment , cost reduction and more . By making more informed decisions , manufacturers can better support their company ’ s growth rate strategy and drive outcomes — and , if they ’ re unsuccessful , better understand what it is that went wrong and tailor their approach moving forward . In that respect , 2023 will be about moving beyond visibility into Big Data , and instead finding meaning in and discovering the benefits of Big Data ,” it added .
Cybersecurity
The threat from bad actors is real and strong cybersecurity has become critical to
A digital twin is a computational model designed to replicate a physical object or process . This can range from a virtual copy of a single structure , such as a bridge , to more complicated infrastructure such as an entire city . It is designed to behave as closely as possible to its real-world counterpart and is updated using data collected from its physical twin so that it can simulate and predict its behaviour in real-time . This can help offer insights into how an object is working , allowing the opportunity to drastically improve the functionality of that object . It even offers the potential to make improvements before something is built .
This virtual twin simulation enables manufacturers to run tests / repairs ; monitor equipment ; model scenarios , conduct training , optimise production ; test new production lines / prototypes and see how equipment performs under different conditions without ever having to touch the actual asset .
Additive manufacturing
“ 3D printing enables the production of complex components , often involving moving parts , from a single piece of material . It has applications in everything from prototyping to machine tooling to medical devices and can be a critical element in mass customisation . It can even assist in the pursuit of sustainability goals , helping to cut down on things like transport and minimizing the need for multiple factory processes ,” concluded Dassault Systèmes . n
26 | ismr . net | ISMR September 2023