Manufacturing and Resources
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MANUFACTURING AND RESOURCES Microsoft and its ecosystem of partners are at the heart of a tectonic shift ongoing throughout the world of manufacturing, by providing manufacturers with advanced software, teamed with a diverse set of net- working, telecommunications and connectivity tools – at scale and with a high level of affordability. Bring all this together in an environment which max- imises the potential of a workforce by equipping it with a wide range of artificial intelligence and mixed reality services, and the factory of the future has finally arrived. In this issue we take a closer look. FEATURE Building the factory of the the future today Transformation is rippling through the manufacturing industry as companies look to advanced cloud and digital communication technologies to empower their business BY JACQUI GRIFFITHS palpable sense of excitement can be felt becoming essential, because the explosion of data across the manufacturing industry as and reduced time to action is such that it’s literally Athe application of advanced technologies impossible for human beings to make sense of it.” creates the factory of the future. “Manufacturing The question facing manufacturers is not – and the technology that makes it more intel- whether to embrace the factory of the future, but ligent – is shaping our future in exciting ways,” how – and leading technology companies are says Colin Masson, global industry director, helping to answer it. For example, Microsoft and manufacturing solutions at Microsoft Cloud BMW Group’s Open Manufacturing Platform and Enterprise. “Manufacturers are embracing provides a technology framework and open new technologies to address core challenges for community for sharing smart factory solutions business differentiation and profitability and to across the automotive and manufacturing sectors. address sustainability, workforce and cybersecu- Its aim is to significantly accelerate future indus- rity challenges with innovative and responsible trial internet of things (IIoT) developments. And manufacturing practices.” Siemens’ MindSphere open IoT operating system The factory of the future combines technologies connects products, plants, systems and machines including analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), with the Microsoft Azure cloud platform so man- sensors, cloud, edge and augmented reality. “These ufacturers can securely and easily connect any technologies are coming together to drive creative IIoT device and leverage interoperable cloud ser- disruption and expansion of traditional business vices to create powerful, scalable IIoT systems. models,” says Muthuraman ‘Ram’ Ramasamy, One challenge is that, with significant technol- industry director, Automation and IIoT at busi- ogy investments already in place, not all manu- ness consultant Frost & Sullivan. “Huge volumes facturers can simply leap to the cloud to achieve of data are being tracked through the factory like Industry 4.0. “Companies can’t simply rip and invisible threads which need to be captured and replace their technology,” says Ramasamy. “They converted into actions, insights and outcomes. look to get the maximum leverage from those An agile factory of the future environment is investments. But 70% of their data is generated 114 www.technologyrecord.com MANUFACTURING at the edge, through various machines, packag- ing equipment, assembly lines and testing, so an affordable technology set up is essential.” Help is at hand from companies such as Intel, which is working with Microsoft on a PC refer- ence design for factories and industrial applica- tions. It will enable device partners to build fully provisioned and customised industrial PCs that can be connected to a range of devices to discover, manage and analyse data in real time, using AI on the machine or in the Azure cloud. “A real breakthrough is the ability to deploy AI on the intelligent edge,” says Masson. “Microsoft Windows IoT, Azure IoT Hub and Azure Stack technologies can help manufacturers run AI models in near real-time and integrate them into manufacturing systems. For example, Azure Data Box Edge provides a powerful, AI-enabled edge appliance that sits in the manufacturer’s data cen- tre or on the factory floor, alongside their existing hardware, eliminating network latency. In addi- tion, the Bonsai technology Microsoft acquired last year helps users with limited AI knowledge to train manufacturing systems and robotics to perform tasks.” Masson cites Spanish wind power company Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, which has transformed the process of maintaining the rotor blades on its 120-metre-high wind turbines with apps are proving invaluable in this area. PTC, autonomous drones and a digital solution that for instance, is helping customers of engineering analyses images for potential damage. By migrat- business Howden to use mixed reality to reduce ing the solution to Azure and infusing it with unplanned equipment downtime and better align Azure AI to process image recognition, the com- overall maintenance strategies. And civil engi- pany is further streamlining its blade inspections. neering firm Bilfinger is using AI to tag videos Underlying all these advances is a shift in per- captured by any device for its ‘Industrial Tube’ ceptions of value from ownership to experience, internal knowledge repository. which drives transformation and provides work- “Augmented, virtual and mixed reality technol- force empowerment. “The acquisitive economy ogies take computer-aided design and manufac- of the past is being displaced” says Ramasamy. ture to a whole new level of interactivity,” says “People want to gain ‘experience value’ from the Ramasamy. “Designers can interact with a 3D money they spend. In manufacturing, that trans- model as if it’s physical; they can spin it around, lates to how the technology helps them do their have rich interactions with it and experience job better, faster, smarter and simpler.” it in an immersive way. In production and field In an industry where attracting talent can be a service, technologies like augmented reality can struggle, enabling that experience is critical for enable powerful on-the-job training.” developing skills and productivity. “One study Ultimately, the successful factory of the future is a found that manufacturers address this challenge collusion of technologies and people. “Technology by applying AI, for an expected 76% increase in has always been available, but success lies in how worker output,” says Masson. “A good example is it is applied – which technologies are adopted, the Goodyear, which is using Microsoft 365 collab- benefits achieved and the transformation of cul- oration technologies to help drive productivity ture,” says Ramasamy. “Manufacturing is on the and generate new efficiencies to improve product cusp of transformation, but how that transforma- delivery.” tion is achieved is the most interesting part of the Augmented and mixed reality technologies story – and it’s a part that many manufacturers are such as Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 and mixed-reality still discovering.” 115 What is Your Factory Trying to Tell You? ICONICS delivers Azure-based software solutions for operational excellence and Industry 4.0 initiatives. Listen to your factory like never before, with these solutions to increase efficiency and visibility: Remote Monitoring - Provides instant visibility into your operation from any device Predictive Maintenance - Maximizes equipment uptime and reduces energy costs Connected Field - Service Empowers technicians with real-time equipment status Mixed Reality - Optimizes production and maintenance with hands-free operation Connected Factory - Delivers a unified, contextualized view of your global operations 400kwh Poowerwer ConsumptionConsumpt on HHistorstory 300kwh 8/1/168/ / 6 avavg.. 330330kwhw 8/4/8/4/166 avavg.399kwh.399 w 8/2/168/2/ 6 avg.av . 220kwh 8/5/168/5/ 6 avg.av . 250kwh 8/3/168/3/ 6 avg.250kwhav .250 w 8/6/168/6/ 6 avg.av . 270kwh270 w 23% 27% 50% 200kwh 400kwh00 w 100kwh 300kwhw 200kwh00 w 0 kwh 100kwh1 kwh 0 kkwwhh 400kwh 300kwh Power Usage Building 1B Building 2 uilding 3 70 kWh 32 kWh 25 kWh High consumption Average consumption Below average Above average drain All systems at normal levels consumption from south side Floor 3 testing power Investigation advised conservation methods 200kwh 100kwh 400kwh 300kwh 200kwh 100kwh P i i 11 g kh 1 g kh 1 g 1 g 1 g kh 1 g kh 23% 4kh 300kh 2kh 00 0 Learn more at Make your life easier. Use the zenon Software Platform and Azure to automate your Smart Factory: ` From hardware-independent data acquisition to predictive analytics ` Ergonomic visualization and control across sites ` Real-time analysis and reporting ` Quick ROI and scalable applications www.copadata.com/zenon 116 www.technologyrecord.com FEATURE MANUFACTURING Partner perspectives Manufacturing is being transformed as new digital capabilities create exciting potential to speed up innovation, increase efficiency and empower their workers. We asked a selection of Microsoft’s global partners how manufacturers are using the latest technologies to make the factory of the future a reality today. “Manufacturing operations are being Martin Clothier transformed by a digital revolution driven by Technical director, the most underused asset any organisation ColumbusIT has: its data. It’s reckoned that a production plant generates around 1.5 terabytes of invaluable telemetry daily which, if put to work in a modern cloud platform like Microsoft’s, can drive huge improvements in productivity.