Page 41 - Packaging New magazine Jan-Feb 2023

What are the roadblocks to implementation and how can we leapfrog them?
“Often, the road- blocks arise from local manufacturers’ inability to connect tangible commercial value to the initial investment,” says
Jozef Ceh, SMC Corporation Digital Transformation and Industry 4.0 man- ager. “It’s important to keep in mind that the cost of implementation relates directly to the digital maturity of the systems already in place. It has been found, on average, that in 60 per cent of the cases, the existing equipment on site is already equipped with extended functionality that has not been utilised. Investing the time in understanding the full functional capabilities of the exist- ing equipment in place, combined with having clearly defined outcomes for implementation can help to unlock the desired commercial value.”
What new technologies do you think have the possibility to create smart factories?
“Creating a ‘smart’ factory is about hav- ing real-time visibility, being flexible and learning to react to internal and external changes in the manu-
facturing process,” says Jim Wallace, national sales manager at Balluff Australia. “Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to make this a reality
Over 40% of Australian manufacturers intend to invest in the emerging technology area relating to intelligent automation and robotic process automation over the next two to three years.
and learn from multiple inputs. For Balluff this is a really exciting develop- ment – as a sensor supplier, we enable a large portion of the condition monitor- ing and information generation required to feed into these AI systems. These will enable previously unseen insights and predictions and drive fast changes in production to improve quality and efficiency.”
Where do you see the Australian manufacturing industry 10 years from now? What do you think is needed to get there?
Harry Mulder, prin- cipal automation engineer at Beckhoff Automation, says, “The pandemic exposed Australia’s overreliance on
imported materials following disrup- tions to the supply chain. This brought about a renewed call to reshore manufac- turing and produce more locally. In the past, the majority of goods were sourced from overseas due to Australia’s higher labour costs making local production
less cost-effective. But recent surveys have revealed that consumers are now willing to pay slightly more in return for locally-manufactured goods.
“While higher labour rates remain a significant barrier for local produc- ers, its impact can be mitigated through the use of innovative tools such as automation and robotics as modern technologies are key to the successful transformation of the industry.
“We believe manufacturing in Australia has a bright future, particu- larly in areas where we have natural advantages, such as food processing for our agriculture sector and metallurgy for mining industries. Government assistance and increased Industry 4.0 adoption will help us to secure our posi- tion as global leaders in manufacturing in the next decade.” ■
About the Open IIoT Group: Open IIoT is an initiative of some of Australia’s most prominent automation brands – SMC Corporation ANZ, Beckhoff Automation, NORD Drivesystems, Balluff, ZI-Argus and KUKA Robot Automation. It was founded with the mission of delivering valuable, efficient and easy-to-understand information on Industry 4.0, IIoT and other related topics to end-users and the broader manufacturing industry. Its industry experts break down the jargon and tackle real-world automation concerns to help customers unlock IIoT oppor- tunities for commercial value – and ultimately advance Australia’s econ- omy through smart manufacturing.
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