Page 30 - Packaging News Magazine Nov-Dec 2018

30
COVER STORY
www.packagingnews.com.au
November-December 2018
IIoT gets real
tion as possible. SMC proposed a closed loop feedback system. Using automated smart devices, the ma- chine now knows where the product is and automatically makes the re- quired adjustments to allow for the product range or to rectify or self-he- al any problem situation on the pro- duction line.
When working with plastic, tem- perature plays a big role in how the product will behave. The warmer the weather, the more volatile the prod- uct material. With the new IIoT smart system the deflection of a product can be detected and measured by us- ing a low-pressure cylinder and a sensor. The controller will immedi- ately read which product is going to need adjustment and the electric ser- vo drives are then engaged to make the dynamic adjustments during the automation process without stopping the entire production.
No operator is required – the cus- tomer can anticipate the jam and fix it before it happens, thereby reduc- ing downtime and labour.
NEW LEVEL OF SMART
IIoT is not only about collecting data – but the intelligence behind the data. The data is fed back into the process and can make the process adjustment in real-time. The system provides a summary at the end of each day for informed decision mak- ing. Here, customers can analyse the rate of production, the different be- haviour of the plastic product lines on the machines, the machine speed, breakdowns and so on.
Now that we have a true data source, we can build models to log data into the cloud and we can utilise artificial intelligence for predictive maintenance, predictive production planning, supply chain management or for anomaly detection.
The real ROI for this particular customer is in the increase of pro- duction and productivity levels: up from 4500 units to 7000 units pack- aged, with cycle time reduced from 100 to 60 seconds to 38 seconds. There’s also higher throughput – ef- ficiency up from 60 per cent to 118 per cent. The secret here is unlock- ing value by closing the loop. ■
SMC’s digital transformation leader and electronics platform manager, Jozef Ceh, looks at how the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has reached a crucial tipping point in technological advancement that will see a step change in unlocking value through Industry 4.0 implementation.
Companies are catching on to IIoT and its benefits.
HILE it’s not a new con- cept, Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) continues to generate buzz in the in- dustry with the promise of unlocking further op- portunity and great value. While the adoption rate of such tech- nologies hasn’t yet taken off at a rapid speed, advancements in IIoT have now
reached a crucial tipping point.
SMC has seen an increase in the demand for IIoT technologies by both current and prospective cus- tomers across various industries.
IIoT is becoming ‘more real’. Thanks to education and continu- ous demonstration, businesses are starting to realise that there is real value and tangible benefit to em- ploying such technologies. They are realising that IIoT is within their
reach and capacity.
It is no longer just a future possibil-
ity. We are surrounded by evolving infrastructure and return on invest- ment is becoming more quantifiable.
CLOSE THE LOOP
Over time, real-life success stories are coming to light. We are seeing di- rect savings and overall value en- hancement. Through interaction with machinery, production plan- ning and supply chain management is possible. IIoT reaches everyone from the factory floor operator to the senior management level, who use artificial intelligence to predict trends in the business.
In many forms, value is realised at different levels. Slight technical im- provements, for instance, could elim- inate downtime or bottlenecks and this instantly creates value in terms of quicker delivery to the market and better supply demand management.
The facts speak for themselves and recently SMC saw great success at a Melbourne-based customer by scal- ing its packaging line. This particu- lar machine was stopped regularly to make manual adjustments, so the objective was to increase throughput capacity with multiple products on one machine – with as little disrup-
Jozef Ceh: Businesses are starting to see the value of IIoT.