First steps on the road to digitalisation

There is so much terminology batted around when we start to consider Industry 4.0 that it can lead to a cloud of confusion, as Chris Evans, marketing & operations group manager at Mitsubishi Electric, explains: “On one level we are looking at the convergence of business systems with the physical plant control but is this really new? Does this really move us on from where we are today? The real impetus behind Industry 4.0 comes not just from the link between the plant and the enterprise but once we have this link, not only can we have the means to improve performance but also to measure actual performance against an ideal model – the cyber physical system if you will.”

It is this ability for in-depth analysis and continuous improvement that Evans says defines the true spirit of Industry 4.0 - but how do we set about getting there and are the UK’s manufacturing plants ready to become smart factories? 

“If we built a brand new plant from the ground up on a greenfield site, we could build a smart factory that would embody all the goals of Industry 4.0, all using technologies that are readily available today,” says Evans. “However the challenge with many manufacturing plants is that their automation systems have evolved over many years, resulting in disparate automation platforms, poor network infrastructure, no data management strategy and very little genuine knowledge of how to get the relevant information out.”

Planning matters

So how does a manufacturer start out on the road to digitalisation? According to Evans, it’s all about the planning: “You have to define exactly what it is the manufacturer is trying to achieve, what are their business drivers and you have to understand where their problem areas are. You have to look at what automation currently exists and what automation network infrastructure is already in place – if any. Accept that it’s going to take time – perhaps a number of years – and it’s going to take investment.

"Look for the quick wins that will demonstrate fast returns against a moderate budget and which prove that the path you’re taking will deliver much bigger benefits over the longer term. Understanding what is happening at the production plant is essential and an infrastructure must be created to achieve this, even if this is approached in stages, whilst always keeping an eye on the end goal. If you don’t know what’s going on, you don’t know what’s going wrong.”

At Mitsubishi Electric's Kani Works switchgear production facility, a smart factory upgrade drove a significant increase in productivity and operating rate and a large reduction in the number of stages in the manufacturing process. By redesigning the production line into a more compact manufacturing cell, using robotics and vision as well as conventional automation control, huge savings were made in the occupied floor space – some 85% reduction – significant, as in most manufacturing plants space is at a premium.

This was achieved using Mitsubishi Electric’s automation technologies and complementary technologies from its e-F@ctory Alliance partners.

In its white paper 'Industry 4.0 – The road to digitalisation in future manufacturing', Mitsubishi Electric defines the basis of Industry 4.0 and the overlapping principles of interoperability, information, integration, automation and autonomy. It outlines the key features of Industry 4.0, looking at the importance of areas such as communications, cyber physical systems, cyber security, new computing models such as edge computing and cloud computing and standards such as OPC UA and the forthcoming RAMI4.0 and IIRA architecture models.

Evans concludes: “With strategic planning and a structured approach, any plant can reap the benefits of optimised, sustainable, safe production that is energy efficient, all within a fully connected supply chain. The road to digitalisation begins with the first step.”

•  Mitsubishi electric will have a stand at this year's PPMA show