Thanks to COVID-19, businesses have had to embrace the trend of remote offices, and the manufacturing industry is entering the era of unmanned operations. Digital upgrades are becoming necessary to overcome physical limitations and adjust business operations to adapt to the current and future crises. How can companies adjust to the new normal and maintain efficient operations when social distancing is required to maintain safety?
Here are three key factors to consider:
Digitalisation of essential business operation data
Through this pandemic, companies have gradually become more open to digitalisation. While people already communicate online through collaboration tools, it is also possible for machines to transmit real-time data or even communicate with each other through digitalisation. Data can not only be stored on local servers but also in the cloud, improving accessibility. This allows production managers to receive and adjust processes in a timely manner even when they have to work remotely. Additionally, companies can analyse this data to direct and drive improvements such as increased yield rates or redesign of manufacturing processes to improve efficiency and margin.
Remote maintenance for critical machines
Over the past few months, the world has gradually adjusted to not being able to go out to work. Some business owners already invested in unmanned production lines, allowing production to continue. On the other hand, they worry about critical machines malfunctioning or becoming damaged and stopping production. Before the pandemic, owners who bought or leased high-priced machines would sign maintenance contracts with machine builders. However, these contracts may now be rendered void due to city-wide closures. During a lockdown, machine builders may not be able to perform on-site maintenance. This is resulting in the growing adoption of remote maintenance services, which were previously underutilised. Maintenance workers can now perform real-time diagnosis and maintenance for customers remotely. Through the IoT, critical machines can be quickly brought back online without requiring a person on site. This not only reduces the time needed troubleshoot issues, but also prevents employees from being exposed to dangerous environments.
Interconnection between decentralised micro-supply chains
COVID-19 has forced businesses to scramble to find new suppliers at short notice. This can be due to suppliers shutting down or because of a wave of anti-globalism, pushing companies to find alternative suppliers. The impact suffered by international supply chains may lead to the formation of multinational micro-supply chains to diversify risks. They offer better adaptability, allowing companies to shift resources, production, and logistics to respond to disruptions and changes in demand. But, in order to achieve a more agile and resilient supply chain, producers need to build and manage multiple micro-supply chains. This will trigger a rise in demand for real-time information across micro-supply chains to give a complete picture of the entire supply chain. With this information, companies can make real-time adjustments, analyse collected data, and use artificial intelligence (AI) to simulate different production models to determine the best path forward.
Overcoming the bottling industry’s fragmented visibility Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing Electrical Power & Protection
Beverage bottling facilities are among manufacturing’s most energy-intensive environments, yet many still operate without granular insight into where that energy goes. Rezolia Muller-Potluri of Schneider Electric explains how tiered metering architecture and advanced
Read more...New chiller line for high-density AI data centres Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Schneider Electric has launched the Uniflair XCA, a new series of air-cooled and free-cooling chillers designed for artificial intelligence-driven, high-density liquid-cooled data centres.
Read more...Turning system integrators into trusted technology partners Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing System Integration & Control Systems Design
Schneider Electric’s Alliance Partner Programme is repositioning system integrators from hardware suppliers into lifecycle-value partners. Oriel Soupen explains the competency framework, certification model and real-world results that are already helping African system integrators win higher-value, longer-term engagements.
Read more...Why renewable projects need integrated protection and control
IT in Manufacturing
Fragmented secondary plant integration in renewable energy projects causes costly delays during commissioning. ACTOM Protection and Control’s Secondary Plant Integration solution consolidates all secondary systems under a single engineering framework, reducing risk and accelerating grid
Read more...When digital twins move from concept to critical tool
IT in Manufacturing System Integration & Control Systems Design Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Digital twins are moving out of the lab and onto the mine, the factory floor and the transport network where they predict failures before they happen. Amritesh Anand looks at where they earn their keep, the data and integration work behind them, and the security questions every organisation should ask before switching one on.
Read more...How a digital foundation can overcome the LNG trilemma Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing SCADA/HMI
The LNG sector is racing to add capacity, but without a digital backbone, growth creates complexity rather than capability. Christophe Begat of Schneider Electric explains how connecting data, systems and analytics across the LNG value chain can resolve the trilemma of secure supply, lower emissions and tighter costs.
Read more...Decarbonisation is reshaping mining strategy in Africa Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing Electrical Power & Protection
Mining companies across Africa are embedding decarbonisation into operational strategy, driven by investor, regulatory and customer pressure to reduce emissions while improving resilience.
Read more...Siemens and HighByte partner to scale industrial AI Siemens South Africa
IT in Manufacturing Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
Siemens is expanding its Industrial Edge ecosystem through a partnership with HighByte, enabling customers to connect, contextualise and transform data from operational technology and information technology sources to build AI models and applications at scale.
Read more...Africa on the edge of a digital future Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Edge computing promises lower latency, stronger reliability and real-time responsiveness across Africa, yet its rollout keeps colliding with one stubborn obstacle, power. Steven Santini explores how renewable microgrids, smart energy management and the right partnerships could turn the continent’s energy gap into its biggest edge opportunity.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version