SMC Corporation says it is keeping its finger on the ‘IIoT pulse’ and taking a holistic approach to product upgrades as part of its commitment to Industry 4.0.
According to Jozef Ceh, global account and digital transformation manager at SMC, the company is continuing on its journey towards incorporating smarts across its broader component range.
“More and more products are being developed and upgraded in-line with smart requirements,” explains Ceh.
“SMC’s primary mandate is to deliver mechanical and electrical products that are Industry 4.0 enabled, as well as energy and CO2 efficient.”
“SMC’s strategy is two-fold: we support customers who are upgrading existing systems and are in search of more functionality, and we support customers in non-traditional, developing markets where there is great potential for Industry 4.0 collaboration.”
Industry uptake and shift in demands
Speaking to the accelerated uptake of IIoT technologies in-line with the Covid-19 lockdown, Ceh believes that education, first and foremost, has resulted in an influx of companies openly demonstrating Industry 4.0 implementation.
“There is a better understanding of the technology and its potential ROI, and companies adopting IIoT technologies are becoming more cost competitive,” says Ceh.
“Contrary to popular belief, it’s not always about large investments or new technology – smarts can be implemented right down to sensor level.
“A lot of past resistance was due to a lack of understanding around the outcomes and benefits of such technologies. However, today the returns and benefits are more transparent.”
Ceh also says that enquiries for such technologies has seen a dramatic shift, with questions moving away from enquiring about a task being fulfilled to enquiring about further functionalities.
“Upgrades to machines enable flexibility and higher functionalities, such as finer controls over speed, cycle times, position, reconfiguration, quick changes, and data processing,” adds Ceh.
“OEMs are redesigning control systems to accommodate multiple machines, which is of great benefit to the end user and requires only software changes, rather than disruptive hardware changes.”
Speaking to one of the biggest drivers of IIoT technologies, Ceh says it is all about the cycle time, as improving outputs and reducing errors is the key to growing a business and competing in challenging times.
“Customers are increasingly turning to suppliers for an improvement in their manufacturing cycle times, and engineers are constantly looking for ways to improve processes,” Ceh explains.
“Having smart technologies that work in orchestrated collaboration ensures optimum speed and control. The best part is that companies can improve cycle times using the same equipment.
“Customers can optimise on speed without shortening the life of the product and wearing them out, and products can be synchronised to run in a collaborative manner. This is the next level of cycle optimisation – it isn’t up to the individual components, but up to the process to be optimised.
“Tracking data, position and the integration of higher functional sensors gives us a lot more opportunity to get higher cycle time without decreasing lifecycle or increasing maintenance.”
Reaching sustainability targets through Industry 4.0
Ceh says that sustainable development goals and the management of CO2 emissions are a big part of Industry 4.0, and using it to reach these goals is a real possibility.
SMC has made global corporate commitments to the reduction of CO2 and are playing its part in reaching the targets set around the world, which Ceh says means constantly looking at products and offering solutions on how smaller products with less footprint can provide smarts, while being manufactured in a way that uses as little energy as possible.
“Smarter products reduce waste, improve efficiency and offers direct correlation to reducing CO2 footprint,” Ceh adds.
“These products are constantly being developed and are put out into the sector to solve client’s needs in the same way. Continuous improvement has always been part of the way SMC do business.
“As we evolve, there is more investment and studies that look to uncover blind spots. Industry 4.0 has the ability to take manufacturing to the next level. We have to use technology to do more with less.“
