Opportunities of the digital transformation of industrial machinery

A decade ago, digitization meant having a website and an e-commerce, but in this disruptive ecosystem it means a lot more, even working remotely. It implies the use of Industry 4.0 technological enablers such as Big Data and Artificial Intelligence to correct inefficiencies and improve productivity, automate processes to optimize manufacturing and better understand the client to create new business. As indicated in a report by the consultancy firm McKinsey: “Digitization consists in the set of actions that help organizations to use the power of digital technology in their products and services, the client experience, data analysis and automation”.

To offer machine tools that respond to these demands, a roadmap must be drawn up for the transition towards Industry 4.0. Digital transformation begins with the connectivity of the plant, through what is known as the Internet of Things (IoT), sensorizing machines, processes and computer systems to interconnect them with each other. Connected machines are a data mine which, crossed with others, make sense and offer solutions which can reduce Time-to-Market by between 20% and 50%, estimates the manufacturer SchneiderElectric. 

The next step is the storage and processing of data in the Cloud, where Data Analytics using artificial intelligence and machine learning software opens the door to a world full of opportunities, working on vital areas for the optimization of a plant. For example:

• In the event of a peak in demand, the workload is automatically redistributed between machines, completing the order on time and optimizing production.
• Reduces time spent on design and scrap/cutting phases in nesting.
• Predictive maintenance means that a possible fault can be detected and fixed before it happens.
• Facilitates automation which results in improved plant productivity and efficiency.
• Cross-referring data makes it possible to identify consumption behavior patterns and subsequently anticipate solutions before the client has even considered them.

A study by the consulting firms ATOS and McKinsey points out that the impact of digitization on the development of new services and business models can boost product value by up to 30%. 

Additionally, the Cloud provides unprecedented flexibility as it knows no boundaries, allowing access to this large amount of data from anywhere and at any time.

It’s important to highlight that access to the Cloud is fully viable for any company, whatever its size, given that it’s a subscription model and can be adapted to suit particular needs. There are three access modes: platform (PaaS), infrastructure (IaaS) and software (SaaS). The latter offers the greatest protection according to the consultancy firm Gartner, which predicts that this year global end-user spending on public cloud services will increase by 18.4%, to a total of 304.9 billion dollars.

Investment is undoubtedly required, but much less than if we had to implement it in-house given that not only do you pay as you use, but maintenance and software update costs are avoided.

Ultimately, the digital transformation of industrial machinery achieves objectives that manufacturers have always longed for, and which we can summarize as:

• Substantial improvement in plant efficiency by automating internal processes.
• Increased precision when manufacturing products, which results in greater optimization of parts and, consequently, less generation of material waste.
• High quality standards at low costs.
• Increased security, not only because a large part of the work is automated, not manual, and therefore not subject to human errors, but because the Cloud environment works with high security parameters.

Finding the right partner to accompany you and facilitate the path towards digital transformation is key so that, as a manufacturer of machine tools, you can compete in this increasingly disruptive environment, which requires agile and liquid companies to adapt to the new needs of a changing world.