Evaluating the significance of Industry 4.0 and how it affects your operation
By Gerry Birmingham, VP of Engineering, Samco Machinery
TORONTO, July 15, 2020 – The future is now. Or is it? Technology changes so fast it sometimes feels like the future was yesterday and you missed it!

Preparing for Industry 4.0 may have you wondering if it can apply to your business. What we do know is the roll forming industry is poised to be at the forefront of the upgrade. What most are referring to as the fourth industrial revolution first starts with understanding what the various terms actually mean and how they can apply to your business.

Simply put, Industry 4.0 is described as “the intelligent networking of machines and processes in industry with the aid of information and communication technology.” The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the tens of millions of devices that are connected to the internet and sharing and collecting data all over the world with the main purpose of analyzing and creating outcomes from that information. Then there is the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), which is more specific to production plants and machinery. 

In many ways IIoT is ahead of IoT. Why? The incentives for adopting this technology are much greater. Sure, there is value in having your Smart Watch connected to gather ongoing exercise data and share and gauge performance with friends. It may be important and convenient, but a failure does not necessarily create an urgent, and in some cases, real life emergency situation. One example would be an unexpected increase in pressure in a device where people are working that can compromise personal safety.  

What does IIoT mean to you?
The technology to gather data has been available for a while, but effectively using it has not generally been a priority. There are at least 5 key areas where all this gathered information can be leveraged.

 -- Operational Intelligence. (Machine and operator efficiency feedback)
 -- Monitoring and Maintenance. (Machine health and preventative maintenance)
 -- Predictive Maintenance. (Using predictive algorithms to anticipate failures)
 -- Remote monitoring. (Observation)
 -- Remote Service. (Offsite troubleshooting and support)

Industry 4.0 is expected to make your machines better but can also lead to opportunities in energy management and optimum productivity. 

Using IoT as a means for collecting data and monitoring it remotely via the Internet allows for secure access to real time information at different locations. Now this doesn’t mean you cannot collect and distribute the same data exchange through your internal network, but you do give up real time remote access of the information and IoT devices. 

Avoid the Hype!
There is a lot of interesting discussion around this subject but the reality is most are trying to determine how it can help in their own operation.

Various producers of sensors, drives and other technologies are actively developing components and analytics for the I4.0 movement. Still, the industry is somewhat fragmented as each supplier is also developing niche software to monitor and interpret its own product’s performance and diagnostics. What’s lacking is the ability to merge all these various capabilities into one cohesive performance dashboard, i.e. “The Smart Machine.” The use of Bluetooth technology is a great example of advancements that can be achieved when a myriad of devices can be integrated to seamlessly work within established communication protocols.

Another problem is having cost-effective bolt on “connected systems.” Consider those companies that have a whole arsenal of non-enabled equipment with limited practical connectivity. It hinders the ability to take advantage of the true “smart factory” concept.

Getting started
It’s important for customers to understand their own starting point. There is no single, standardized approach to achieving total manufacturing management. Goals for IIoT must be established at the CEO level because it involves security of information (IT), data gathering (shop floor input), supplier technology (purchasing and engineering) and performance goal setting and monitoring (management).

With overarching executive support, customers can then identify what their organization wants to accomplish as it relates to IoT. For example, in the roll forming industry, the opportunity can be in machine analytics, machine health and self-diagnosis. On the operations side, IIoT could help increase production efficiency using overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) data. It’s important for customers to develop a clear perspective of what their organization wants to accomplish then introduce it in progressive but manageable phases.

In other words, identify the destination but move the mountain one stone at a time. Build on your successes. Do not be afraid of any workarounds today, while laying the foundations for a more robust solution tomorrow. Start by increasing the visibility of real-time operations. Detect problems early and act fast to address root causes.

Key to all of this is building a strong internal team with an agile mindset. Companies that build and support strong internal capabilities through dedicated cross-functional teams are ones that drive innovation to another level because they are built on a culture that is open to change and experimentation.

Lastly, Good luck!

Samco Machinery provides customers leading edge designs and cost-effective solutions to satisfy any metal roll forming project need. Maintaining ISO 9001 certification, Samco manufactures roll forming machines, uncoilers, roll tooling, presses, and material handling solutions servicing a multitude of customers worldwide in varied industries. Visit www.samco-machinery.com or contact sales@samco-machinery.com for more information.