Eric Wendt, Director of Automation at Digi-Key Electronics
Our world is in the midst of a significant advance in the way we manufacture and produce goods. This period of transformation is known as the fourth industrial revolution or Industry 4.0. Industry 4.0 recognizes a trend toward automation and data sharing in manufacturing technologies and practices that includes artificial intelligence (AI), edge computing, and connectivity.
While the trends we'll be looking at here are very forward-thinking and futuristic, many companies just haven't gotten to that point yet. We recognize that organizations are at a variety of different stages along this transformational journey, but just like everyone else they hopped aboard the original industrial revolution (steam machinery), the second "technological" revolution ( railway and telegraph), and the third (digital) revolution, we hope that over time, many of these emerging trends in this industrial revolution will become commonplace.
automated inside the building, and an average order will travel
more than 975 meters inside the building.
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To meet growing global demand and navigate supply chain challenges, manufacturers must think ahead. A new and cost-effective way to do this is by creating a digital twin, which is a real-time virtual representation of a physical system or process that serves as a digital counterpart for simulation, integration, testing, and maintenance. Digital twins enable detailed simulations of hardware that influence everything from manufacturing processes to the entire layout of production plants.
By virtually building a machine, production line, or warehouse, a company spends no money on parts or equipment, and the digital twin can validate that it's going to work before making those investments. The digital twin can confirm how to build it, and once the factory is physically built, the digital twin can be used to work on efficiency and predictive maintenance.
For example, in the Digi-Key warehouse, we can use our digital twin to see how many packing stations should be running when the picking stations are running, and depending on the volume of orders, determine whether those stations need more or less staff. . The digital twin can also help us identify how many orders can be handled based on different staffing levels to determine what is optimal.
Another advantage is predictive maintenance and process improvement. With a virtual simulation of the exact manufacturing facility, organizations can digitally tune things up and see how they fix themselves, or identify problems and pain points. All components in a factory have a lifespan, and after a certain time, motors and parts inevitably start to wobble and lose electrical reliability. With a digital twin running predictive maintenance platforms, the system can provide alerts to say, “Hey, this engine has been running for X number of hours. We're starting to see it vibrate so much. And we know that once you vibrate so much; In three weeks, one day, and two hours, that engine is going to fail." So downtime can be proactively scheduled to replace the motor instead of having an unexpected failure bring the entire system down.
Running a digital twin allows organizations to see the future in the virtual world before putting it in the real world. The digital twin can also speed up and run, say, a week of tests in an hour, so it has huge potential.
The biggest technological advance that has brought digital twins to life is edge computing, which enables everything to be computed at high speeds. As computing power increases across the board, these practices will become more common. Currently, the cost of systems to run edge computing is quite expensive and therefore unaffordable for many organizations. But the benefit of being able to anticipate staffing needs and know when systems need to be replaced is invaluable to factory operators. Time is saved, and instead of having to schedule maintenance, they actually know when the system is going to fail and can prevent it, shortening line downtime.
The use of edge computing and digital twins is also creating more high-paying, technology-focused jobs, such as information technology (IT) functions, data analysts, and others. With the introduction of collaborative robots in factories, they can take on more tedious and monotonous functions and free up the staff who previously performed those jobs to take on more valuable positions within the organization.
of an aerial bridge that extends 100 meters and has a conveyor belt attached
also to deliver products and other items to both buildings.
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Whether it's machinery issues, component shortages, or other potential problems, manufacturing shutdowns are no longer an option. Today's factories must achieve system-wide visibility through the use of complex sensors and hardware designed to capture, monitor, and deliver key information before problems strike.
The biggest problem facing facilities today is literally a million person shortfall in terms of skilled employees needed in the field of automation, and this is only going to get worse. Therefore, the challenge is to find the processes that must be automated to be able to work with the same number of people, but growing. Automation is scalable: When you automate something, you can usually do it with fewer people or not have to add people as you grow.
The pandemic has fueled this trend, as companies have quickly realized that they will probably never be able to hire enough workers to meet demand, so the challenge has become figuring out what can be automated to save money, as the The fact of using a robot to replace a person does not necessarily solve anything or replace the need of that person.
There is also a great need for system integrators to help manufacturers determine what can be automated and how it can all work seamlessly. Students should learn about automation and find out how to get a job as an integrator, as they will be prepared for future work.
partnered with Digi-Key for internal automation and equipment
facility operation.
think beyond
Pioneers in the world of manufacturing are always thinking ahead and prototyping the future of technologies throughout the plant. Looking ahead, there will be many near-term trends that will take Industry 4.0 from idea to reality. From collaborative robots that can multitask to the time when artificial intelligence and robotics merge, I sincerely believe that this will be bigger than the invention of the wheel.
Demand for system integrators will continue, and there will continue to be a further push for localized manufacturing. This is not an American trend, but a global one: everyone wants their manufacturing to happen closer to where the product goes. And with more localized manufacturing, organizations can more easily offer custom products, unique designs, and smaller batch sizes.
As we move toward a more automated future, Digi-Key is committed to having what you need for your next business revolution. With over 70.000 automation-specific parts in stock and 150.000 automation and control products available, Digi-Key has just about everything you could possibly need for automation, because we're your automation experts.
Eric Wendt is the director of automation for Digi-Key Electronics. Digi-Key is the leader and continuing innovator in the high-service distribution of electronic components and automation products worldwide, supplying more than 13,4 million components from more than 2.300 quality brand name manufacturers.
