We hear frequently about Internet of Things (IOT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) together. Many businesses are seeing the benefits of using these in a right way and make things happen. We see the growth of Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning being adopted by every possible industry. Both are interconnected in a way, the machine learning can happen only with an intelligence built by a software, that takes a huge amount of data as inputs, comes with patterns and arrives at solutions to initiate the right action. So the question is how IOT for Manufacturing Industry works? What changes the business has to do to take advantages of this?
As part of ERP sales, AcTouch interacts with many industry vertical leaders. Our experience with Manufacturing, Trading & Distributors, SOHOs, Service companies etc. help us to understand their inherent problems and how it can be solved with help of IOT.
Manufacturing sector is one of the industries that could exploit an opportunity to scale themselves by using AI and ML features. However this alone is not possible, as we need to provide the data inputs from CNC (Computer Numerical Control) or any other Machines to Data analysis points. This is handled with the help of IOT (Internet of Things) objects.
While the advantages are many, the cost to benefit has to be calculated. Based on our experiences, here are few cases
IOT for Manufacturing Industry: Production Planning
One of the major challenges in this team is the frequent changes in the demand and supply. How can you pass the information to CNC Machine as the demand changes? How to ensure that the data is synchronized between the Planning and Production department? How to inform Purchase department to stop the PO or Inform Stores department on what to do?
Let’s assume that we have fixed an IOT device to the production machine that passes the production details back to ERP.
Based on the change in the demand or forecast, the Planning department will redo the Planning and automatically these new instructions are passed to Production manager, materials request to Vendor with due date to deliver.
Once the details are updated from Machines and Men, the planning will be completed.
If any unscheduled maintenance comes, it’s identified and production schedule is redone.
IOT for Manufacturing Industry: Demand generation and alerts to Vendors on the quality of products
One of the problems that are faced in the production is the quality of products / raw materials and these are the issues that come into picture during production work only. Post-production the challenge is to transfer this information back to Vendor, so that his vendor ratings are reduced.
Stores department receives the materials against the Vendor documents and it can be traced back to the document, batch number etc.
As the production QUALITY IOT finds a problem with materials supplied, it has few options to do.
- Send the message to central unit on the Product quality issues
- Send the message to Production Manager, if the rejections are more than 10 numbers. Stop the production, if required.
- Send the message to Vendor with quality parameters and data etc.
IOT for Manufacturing Industry: Machine production reporting by cycle time.
Most of the production time, the quantity reporting is done at the end of the day or at the end of shift. This leads to problem where the immediate decisions are not taken for the production team and leads to more wastage and increase in the cost of production etc.
So an IOT interface can help to calculate the production Quantity, track the rejections and alert the Production manager etc. Some of the issues can be tracked and handled are
- How the materials are rejected?
- If the cycle time is increasing due to harden materials?
- Tool tips breakage and re usage is increasing.
IOT for Manufacturing Industry: Machine breakdown / Maintenance
Alerts with production planning and change in scheduling.
Let’s assume that one of the important machines that help to manage the critical production is down and the information should be made available to the service engineer immediately to take actions. Based on the message, he can begin his activities.
Scanning and MRI machines are the best example for this.
