Moving into the 4th industrial revolution, European countries are in different stages. The UK, France, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands are seen as potentialists, while Germany, Austria, Sweden and Ireland belong to the frontrunners. That is the finding of the RB Industry 4.0 Readiness Index for Europe, published by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants.
At a recent Manufacturing 4.0 event in Ireland organised by Hanley Automation, political, economic and practical consequences of Industry 4.0. were discussed by leading operational and information technology minds. Prime Minister Enda Kenny asked the industry to suggest “the top three” actions that government can take to help Irish enterprises benefit from the opportunities presented by the Industry 4.0 revolution.
Rockwell Automation’s Connected Enterprise
While discussions are being led worldwide about how smart manufacturing technologies and approaches are enabling manufacturers to benefit from the potential of Industry 4.0 opportunities, Rockwell Automation has realised significant value relative to its own ongoing journey. The company understands global manufacturers because it is one and continues to support its customers in their efforts to bring Smart Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 principles to life.
As an evolution of its decades-long commitment to capturing enterprise data to make better decisions, the company implemented an enterprise-wide strategy several years ago to better connect its global manufacturing facilities and accelerate the business value of its Connected Enterprise.
This new approach to manufacturing includes a standardised, global information system, occurring at nine sites from Asia to North America to Europe. It will expand the system, and by 2016, Rockwell Automation will have rolled it out across 95% of its manufacturing facilities. By integrating information across Information Technology (IT) and Operations Technology (OT), and from the plant floor across the enterprise, Rockwell Automation has optimised its enterprise, plant and supply network performance and business agility.
The system in action
During the construction of two greenfield plants in Mexico, a comprehensive MES application was configured and extended that would integrate communication between plant floor and the enterprise. The new system creates a set of applications that can be used in all major Rockwell Automation manufacturing facilities. It provides a common manufacturing platform that can be expanded to different regions and different product groups, all while retaining an efficient and accurate way of measuring KPIs.
This first rollout was followed by a first implementation to an existing plant in Twinsburg, Ohio (US). The plant produces a wide variety of complex products – approximately 2500 different products each year – and needed better information from the plant floor to enable operators to make more informed decisions to maximise efficiency.
The real-time display of metrics and performance in relation to expected output provided managers a more efficient way to measure success. From a quality standpoint, the system detects issues and provides feedback immediately, allowing managers and operators to address issues quickly and deliver feedback upstream.
People continue to collaborate, ensuring knowledge and information from every department is shared. Processes are focused on lean manufacturing to better manage quality for its customers. Technologies, including cloud, mobility and big data, are leveraged to continue improving the Rockwell Automation production strategy.
Five years after executing its plan, the company has seen success that will continue to grow. It includes lowered inventory, has seen an increase in on-time delivery from the mid-’80s to 96 percent, improved customer service and quality and 4 to 5% increase in annual productivity by better and faster decision making, enabled by better information.
For more information contact Christo Buys, Rockwell Automation, +27 (0)11 654 9700, [email protected], www.rockwellautomation.co.za
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