Articles
The connected world of Industry 4.0 is supposed to be transforming manufacturing. If you believe the hype, we’ve all ‘gone digital,’ with full factory data collection and analysis, leading to flexible manufacturing and the printing of everything from replacement knees to cars.
But the reality is more sobering. Research from manufacturers’ organisation the EEF showed that only 11% of companies thought that UK industry was geared up to take advantage of Industry 4.0, also known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).
This is a huge shame, as the UK’s industrial maturity gives it an advantage in 4IR and the opportunities emerging in the era of mass customisation. The problem for many engineers lies in the jump from traditional manufacturing into the world of digital. Big data, additive manufacturing sensors and PC controls can all seem a bit daunting; but there is a low-risk approach to 4IR that many more manufacturers should be considering.
Many firms might find it challenging to consider investment in digital manufacturing given the fact that they’ve got thousands of pounds tied up in existing equipment. But we’ve found that identifying easy wins can be a good way of showing the tangible benefits of 4IR.
Granted, 4IR is often represented in the form of total digital manufacturing systems, which use huge amounts of realtime data to produce production quantities of one-off items without the cost of new tooling, but there is another interpretation of 4IR that is perhaps more appealing to many firms.
Let’s take the example of an existing process to illustrate how part digitisation can have an impact on accuracy, cutting waste and cost reduction. Our engineer is faced with the challenge of a component that suffers from inherent material waste and quality issues. This complex part is made up of several materials, each undergoing diverse processes, before being bonded together in a fairly uncontrolled method. While the product is delivered in time, it’s not terribly efficient or controllable.
An ultimate solution might be to digitally manufacture, perhaps by 3D printing, the entire component through a hybrid multi-material process. This solution is still some years away, but there are other quick wins that digitisation can bring. You could automate and print the adhesives deposition required to bond those parts together, in a precise and controlled way. So, instead of applying resin in an uncontrolled process, with material waste, you could use a digital deposition process. This not only gives far greater control over deposition quantities and positional placement, but also allows flexible manufacturing of the product via software-controlled instructions.
This approach could also be adopted in the areas of coatings and varnishes. Another area where digital control could be quickly utilised is screen printing, which is typically used to apply adhesives to laminated bonded parts. This process is seen in the manufacture of automotive windscreens and kitchen worktops. Here, adhesives are usually applied using screen printing.
Replacing this with a digital process allows you to print only where the adhesive is needed. It cuts down on material use and provides opportunities for personalised products and flexible manufacturing processes.
Adopting 4IR need not involve huge amounts of cost, risk and major process change. By bringing digital and connected controls into a manufacturing process, businesses can cut costs, reduce waste and achieve better quality control.
4IR offers huge opportunities for manufacturers. Remember, it’s not all about totally digitised processes – you can adopt software to use 4IR technology where you need it. n