Innovation in automation: Empowering machines with adaptive technology

By OEM Update Editorial July 14, 2023 5:22 pm IST

B&R innovations deliver decisive technological advantages for adaptive, connected manufacturing that helps produce small batches efficiently and benefit from the higher margins of personalised products.

Integrating technology into machines enhances their flexibility and readiness to meet various demands. The widespread acceptance of innovations and robust business growth are outcomes of connected market strategies. Innovations implementation strategically helps maintain market equilibrium, allowing manufacturers to contribute and gain a competitive market position with a targeted share. Smart Factories and the Internet of Things (IoT) have already become integral parts of the production ecosystem for many manufacturers. As factories become smarter, the amount of data being transmitted and processed increases from the plant floor to the control room. Adopting smart manufacturing practices introduces its own challenges for maintaining production efficiency and adapting to new demands. Consequently, manufacturers seek reliable partners to provide innovative and sustainable solutions to address these challenges.

Increase production efficiency
Machine downtime that occurs unexpectedly poses significant challenges and can lead to inefficiencies in manufacturing processes due to sudden machine malfunction. Enhancing production efficiency involves:

• Addressing production bottlenecks.
• Implementing predictive maintenance measures promptly.
• Adopting advanced technologies to achieve better outcomes.

Additionally, maintaining optimal inventory levels and maximising the utilisation of energy resources can contribute to improved production efficiency. Manufacturers must navigate various crises while maintaining a healthy production ecosystem that enables them to increase efficiency and adapt to market fluctuations. In this volatile market environment with increasing demands, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) is a metric to measure production efficiency.

Thus, as a comprehensive performance indicator, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) can make manufacturing assets more productive. However, the challenges associated with collecting the necessary data for calculating OEE have hindered its application in improving older brownfield systems. However, now available solutions in the market facilitate accessing the operating data of digitally isolated equipment, enabling automated data acquisition, harmonisation, and analysis, including real-time OEE monitoring. By leveraging connected manufacturing systems equipped with the latest technology, gathering and analysing comprehensive technical and operational data becomes possible. This opens up opportunities to implement the envisioned solutions for Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things, where extensive technical and operational data utilisation plays a crucial role.

Adapting to innovations
Automation technology is gaining momentum in the market due to increasing demand. Manufacturers universally acknowledge the significance of technology and the crucial role played by innovations in tackling challenging situations. B&R, known for its pioneering spirit, has been a trusted partner to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), working together to navigate market fluctuations.

ACOPOStrak, SUPERtrak, and ACOPOS6D are revolutionary adaptive manufacturing solutions offered by B&R. These highly flexible transport systems bring the benefits of mass production to even small batches, efficiently transporting parts and products between processing stations using independently controlled shuttles. The unique designs of these B&R products provide significant technological advantages for connected manufacturing, enabling efficient production of small batches and capturing the higher margins associated with personalised products. B&R’s machine vision cameras in many manufacturing systems play a vital role in process control, product sorting, and quality inspection. The lighting used with these cameras plays a crucial role in achieving precise and consistent results. These innovations contribute to production efficiency and enhance product tracking capabilities. Adapting to new technologies and analysing machine-generated data for improved outcomes provide a positive growth trajectory and enable manufacturers to meet market demands effectively.

Knowledge courtesy: B&R Automation