When factory automation started becoming a very real thing instead of a far-off science fiction concept over the past few years, some media members were quick to jump off and hit the alarm bells as the end of the traditional worker. Well, they were correct about one thing - things have changed, but unlike the doom and gloom that some were expecting Automation has actually improved the lives of some on on the factory floor.
In bustling sectors like Food, Beverage and Household Goods, life on the production floor can be stressful. Precious seconds of downtime means lost revenue, so utmost attention must be paid to the line at all times. Consequently, streamlining operations has become an absolute necessity.
This is where Industry 4.0 can have a transformative impact. The fourth industrial revolution is built on connected systems, automated manufacturing operations and performance metrics that are monitored remotely and available from anywhere.
In FMCG sectors where product throughput is unrelenting (and will only continue to increase as technology improves), the impact of unpredictable downtime, unexpected stoppages and maintenance costs is absolutely business critical. Think of your own FMCG operation today and how much a stoppage costs - fast forward a few years when the lines are faster and the cost of a stoppage will only increase.
Industry 4.0 will (and is) changing that forever. The clarity of component-level insight will lead to valuable gains in efficiency, productivity and OEE, while reducing downtime and TCO. Here are six benefits to deploying industry 4.0 enabled coding and marking technology.
1. Remotely monitor printer metrics
With Industry 4.0, individual manufacturing components are connected to the cloud. That enables you, for example, to monitor an entire factory (or several factories) of inkjet printer metrics remotely – from ink and makeup levels, to wear and tear on components such as motor bearings or optical sensors. This gives you an unprecedented level of
In our industry, this brings massive benefits compared to old school binary on/off indications. There isn't just beacon blindness - just clear insight on each component of your entire printer hardware estate.
Being able to collate and present data remotely from printers to handheld devices also brings the benefit of being able to share this information. To be able to demonstrate confident control of factory operations to - for instance - the site leadership team or the head office.
2. Prevent faults from occurring
When your coding and marking machines are connected to the cloud, maintaining peak performance becomes less dependent on physical intervention from an engineer. Thanks to remote diagnostics, minor faults can be identified and resolved by off-site service teams - before they become major faults that result in downtime.
For example, here at Domino, our technical service team recognize the optimal data range necessary to ensure the efficient operation of your inkjet coder. Cloud connected continuous inkjet (CIJ) and thermal inkjet (TIJ) printers allow external variables to be monitored. The relationship between ambient temperature, ink and the electrical cabinet temperatures offers crucial insight as to the possible cause of degraded printer performance, and guides our technical support colleague to suggest appropriate remedial and preventative actions.
Elevated internal temperatures could indicate a blocked air filter, with a negative impact on both the printer performance and increasing the running costs to the end user. Understanding the performance data helps to reduce the need for reactive interventions and steers proactive maintenance.
Using cloud connected dashboards, Domino’s latest CIJ and Tij printers monitor and can remotely alert designated operatives when fluid levels reach pre-determined intervention levels, likewise should conditions fall outside optimal operating specification for the technology.
Coding quality, consistency and efficiency form the foundation of which criteria are examined, reducing the likelihood of costly coding errors and product rework.
3. Stay a step ahead with automated email reports
Sometimes as a production manager or chief engineer, it feels as if you are always waiting for the next thing to go wrong with your manufacturing equipment. You are constantly trying to anticipate the next fire to fight - and that can be highly stressful.
With Domino’s connected printers, you can generate automated emails that flag when errors have occurred or certain events have taken place. That could be something as serious as a printer going offline, or as simple as an emerging operational need - like ink shortage.
Let’s imagine that you work in a busy food production environment where the use and storage of ink is strictly controlled. You can set a trigger that will fire an automated email alert when it’s almost time to address an ink shortage on one of your printers - ensuring timely consumable changeovers, reducing downtime, streamlining your operations, and ensuring higher team morale through the success achieved.
You select the triggers that make it easier to manage your production environment. This ensures the process of anticipating production faults is outsourced to the cloud. Just set and forget. You can even control who receives the email alerts that you have implemented for increased collaboration and transparency. It gives you the ultimate peace of mind on the efficiency of your coding and marking operations - 24/7/365.
4. Review performance anywhere, anytime
Imagine having around-the-clock access to a web-based view of the current status of every printer on your network. No matter whether you are at home, on the train or on the other side of the world, all you need is your laptop, tablet or smartphone. And it’s not just printer status that you can monitor, but top-line data on metrics like service history, uptime and downtime, throughput, consumables levels and more.
Drill down to the level of an individual printer in your network to monitor efficiency following a repair. Or get a broad view of how your entire printer estate is performing - not just on your site, but across every production facility and every region in your entire global group. The ability to assimilate global performance data all on one screen can have a truly game-changing impact on your business, empowering intelligent production and procurement decisions based on real-world data.
5. Robust security and insight from day one
When it comes to connected infrastructure, internal IT departments can get twitchy. Rightly so, given the global security issues facing modern society. Domino Cloud technology is designed with this in mind. That’s because our cloud infrastructure sits on a GSM network that’s independent from your business network. And because Domino Cloud is hosted by Amazon Web Services, it relies on the same robust security and redundancy standards used by the financial services sector. This simplicity ensures you get a smooth installation and meaningful performance insight on your printing network from get-go.
6. Gather crucial OEE information for continual line improvement
The OEE of manufacturing equipment is crucial for any FMCG business. The battle to ensure your printing operations are cost-effective used to require scheduling an engineer visit, uplifting each printer’s support log and manually crunching the numbers. With Industry 4.0, that same process is automated - saving time and money, while providing a new depth of insight.
The Domino Cloud setup automatically enables you to generate OEE calculations and printer usage charges, and even provides insights for line improvement and lean manufacturing initiatives. It’s like having an expert consultant on your team, on-demand whenever you need them. All available on the dashboard.
What does 4.0 mean for your business?
The arrival of Industry 4.0 doesn’t have to be a dramatic sea change for your business that will take a century to establish. We can guide you through our Ax-Series printer innovations offer and help you make changes to your production sites in manageable programmes. This ensures the processes are set up correctly to help you derive the most benefit from your transition to an Industry 4.0 production environment.
We can also introduce you to the new concepts our Gx-series printer range offer. The Gx-series have been optimised for smart factory applications, providing manufacturers with a seamless, future-proof solution for evolving production processes by addressing the previous pain points experienced with Tij printers.
It’s natural to feel cautious and uncertain. It’s the same with any big technological leap. But over time the move to a 4.0 facility is a major catalyst to reduced operational costs, improved uptime, enhanced throughput and transformative OEE. What’s more, this level of automation allows for the redeployment of human resources, freeing up both your team and yourself to work on proactive, value-add workloads instead of short-termist firefighting.
What could that do for your business?
What next?
If you would like to discuss the future of your manufacturing operations, please schedule an informal conversation with one of our Industry 4.0, Ax-Series continuous inkjet and Gx-Series thermal Inkjet printing experts.