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How Digital Transformation is changing the face of Manufacturing
How Digital Transformation is changing the face of Manufacturing

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Ushering in a new industrial revolution: Enhancing communication and connectivity with digitization

Put simply, Digital Transformation is “the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, resulting in fundamental changes to how businesses operate and how they deliver value to customers.”

Driven by a combination of traditional manufacturing processes and revolutionary technologies like Cloud, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things (IoT), Digital Transformation enables the communication between devices at every stage in the manufacturing process and leverages data insights to improve business decisions.

“Necessity is truly the mother of Invention”! Here’s a list of factors that gave birth to the Fourth Industrial Revolution:

  • Outdated manufacturing processes resulting in downtimes, accidents, and scrap.
  • Inability to predict new trends and streamline manufacturing.
  • Failure to produce customized products and incapacity to meet customer demands.

The age of mass production is over. Customers today, demand customized items produced using smart technologies in short lead times. Automating manual processes and using sensors to connect data to people and systems is key to sustaining a competitive advantage. By tracking devices, employee activity, and business processes constantly, industries are streamlining production to achieve greater efficiency and customer experience.

Pivotal technologies transforming the manufacturing industry

Internet of Things:

Industrial IoT employs a network of sensors to collect production data and uses cloud software to turn this data into valuable insights about the efficiency of manufacturing operations. IoT manufacturing enables virtual tracking of capital assets, processes, resources, and products to streamlines business processes and optimizes supply and demand. It empowers decision-makers with real-time visibility through data, automated processes, and predictive maintenance capabilities to avoid downtimes.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning:

The information delivered by sensors and IoT-driven systems is too vast and complex for a human operator to contextualize. AI and Machine Learning algorithms can analyze sensor data, flag anomalies, and make recommendations.

AI also transforms decision-making and upscales efficiency. Returning predictions on the impact of minor changes allows decision-makers to understand new manufacturing initiatives' potential implications.

Mixed Reality:

Mixed Reality takes data captured by IoT and AI systems and helps workers visualize it in real-time on the job. It is a game-changing technology, which is commonly encountered in the form of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) headsets and glasses.

Mixed Reality offers multiple benefits to manufacturers. It allows repair personnel to look inside a machine that needs repair and see-through walls to inspect the cables and pipes behind to know exactly where to drill or cut.

It is also useful to train employees through virtual simulations, which mimic real-time job scenarios without risking damage to actual equipment or manufacturing lead times.

3-D Printing:

The use of 3-D printing, also known as additive manufacturing has moved well beyond rapid prototyping and tooling – the initial purpose that it served in the 1980s. Additive manufacturing is the construction of a 3-D object using a digital CAD model – it represents a host of operations in which material is deposited, joined, or solidified under computer control to create a 3-D object.

Companies such as GE, Lockheed Martin, and BMW are already implementing 3-D printing in large-scale industrial production. The range of printable materials includes basic plastics, photosensitive resins, ceramics, cement, glass, numerous metals, thermoplastic composites (some infused with carbon nanotubes and fibers), and even stem cells.

The benefits of 3-D printing range from greater flexibility and fewer assembly steps to cost savings and enhanced product-design capabilities.

Benefits of Digital Transformation in Manufacturing:

Manufacturers stand to reap several benefits from digital technologies like:

  • Increased competitiveness: While manufacturers relied on outsourcing to low-wage regions of the world to stay competitive, they can now choose locations based on technical capabilities and proximity to consumer demand to drive a sustained competitive advantage.
  • Enhanced productivity: Automation, analytics, and machine learning have collectively reduced the burden of human operators. Human operators primarily monitor and maintain systems today to enable more efficient production.
  • Improved profitability: Digital transformation lowers capital expenditure over time through preventive and predictive maintenance. It also boosts revenues through high-quality manufacturing and smarter production processes.
  • Streamlined manufacturing processes: Greater connectivity and better data analytics in manufacturing create greater collaboration among producers, suppliers, and consumers, leading to optimization and innovation in the long run.
Digital Transformation Challenges in Manufacturing:

Several challenges hold back manufacturers from implementing digital transformation initiatives like:

  • Increased demand on the IT department’s technology stack and development structure through new release cycles, processes, and APIs.
  • Greater workforce pressure: It is not uncommon to face resistance from employees, who find it hard to adapt to changing workplace realities. Employee reluctance, training challenges, and communication barriers can make digital transformation all the more difficult.
  • Resource limitations: Manufacturing is a highly competitive and financially sensitive industry. Manufacturers need to carefully address any budget and resource constraints before reaping the benefits of digital transformation.

Top manufacturers across the globe are already implementing cutting-edge digital technologies to achieve better connectivity, greater efficiency, and improved revenues. 

 

 

 


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Ravi H
Digital Marketing Executive

Digital Marketing Executive at Hakuna Matata Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

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