IIoT is transforming the way manufacturers identify problems on the plant floor as the latest wireless solutions address integration challenges. A flashing red light on the plant floor often signals a problem on a production line or in a work cell. It’s a familiar scene in Lean... Continue Reading
Having adequate training in any heat treating operation is a must in today’s low labor pool and fast-paced environment. Having production line staff that have a “full understanding” of heat treating operations, technical knowledge, and how each element of production is... Continue Reading
The 20th century produced incredible advances in technology, beginning with the moving assembly line installed by Henry Ford in 1913, reducing the time it took to build a car from 12 hours to under three. One hundred years later, car manufacturers can produce over 500 cars in one hour. As... Continue Reading
In the latest Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey, 93.5% of respondents feel positive about their own company’s outlook, the second-highest reading in the survey’s 20-year history following the all-time high of 94.6 % in December. Optimism has been at historically high levels... Continue Reading
SUZANNE GILL REPORTS ON THE ISSUES SURROUNDING INDUSTRIAL DIGITALIZATION AND FINDS OUT WHY IT IS VITAL TO PUT IN THE GROUNDWORK NOW TO ENSURE A SMARTER FACTORY IN THE FUTURE. Digitalization is becoming increasingly common in the industrial sector as automation vendors develop ways to make their... Continue Reading
Every manufacturing leader would love to know about a looming problem minutes, hours, and even days before it occurs to prevent or minimize the negative effects of the issue. Yet, too often operations leaders still simply adopt the scheduled maintenance intervals recommended by equipment... Continue Reading
When the new ISO 9001:2015 certification standard was announced in late 2015, it made waves in manufacturing due to its heavy emphasis on risk management. In our experience, in helping companies become ISO 9001:2015 certified, we’ve seen firsthand how the value of embracing a risk-averse... Continue Reading
Greater connectivity raises cyber security and other important issues. Industry 4.0 aims to facilitate the interaction between humans and technology by providing information at all industrial plant levels. Persons or tools can access process sensors or final element information (such as measured... Continue Reading
Customers are demanding higher quality and more innovative products at shorter delivery times. To stay relevant in the global marketplace, those wanting a competitive advantage today are switching to new and emerging technologies. Today’s plant floors are increasingly high-tech, from... Continue Reading
In a perfect world, functionality and ease of use would be the top criteria manufacturers use when deciding to purchase, replace, or upgrade their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution. Unfortunately, in the real world, cost considerations rear their ugly head. Business leaders are concerned... Continue Reading
In millions of homes, these phrases are heard every day: “Alexa, play ‘I Love Rock n’ Roll’, turn on the lights, what’s the weather outside?” The age of the connected home is here. Many of us are already using smart devices for at least one of our legacy home... Continue Reading
Pattern identification, behavior prediction, and beyond: Here’s how ML will teach you more about your plant’s assets. Machine learning has been researched for decades, but its use in applying artificial intelligence in industrial plants and asset operations and maintenance is now... Continue Reading
