A GUIDE TO INDUSTRY 4.0
Everyone is talking about Industry 4.0. But what is it, exactly, in particular in the speciality field of screwdriving and feeding systems? The term “smart factory” is essential for this explanation. Smart factories are created by the digital linking of embedded production systems and dynamic engineering change processes. And that is precisely what Industry 4.0 is about: combining production and automation systems with modern information and communication technology. Digital processes provide employees of a Group of companies – including any worldwide operations – are provided with simpler and faster methods for communicating and evaluating data. Production, logistics and machine operation run more smoothly and with fewer faults.
Nora Erdei
Produktmanagement Industrie 4.0 & Schraubtechnik
Bei Produktionsstillstand sind moderne Unternehmen mittlerweile viel schneller in der Lage, Produktionsinformationen in Echtzeit miteinander zu teilen und entsprechend zu reagieren. Letztlich lassen sich durch Industrie 4.0 auch weltweit verteilte Firmen eines Konzerns besser steuern.
Auch WEBER bietet sämtliche Standardschnittstellen an, die bei unseren Kunden integriert werden können. Bei Verschraubungen nehmen wir die Ergebnisse der Verschraubungen und Drehmomentkurven auf und übertragen sie in firmeneigene Produktionsleitsysteme (MES Systeme). Über standardisierte Schnittstellen sind so sämtliche Daten jederzeit verfügbar. Auch Statistikfunktionen sind lokal über diese Steuerung möglich. Unsere Kunden haben über eigene Werkzeuge die Möglichkeit, globale Analysen selbstständig durchzuführen. Zügig werden somit beispielsweise Anomalien im Produktionsprozess erkannt – und darauf reagiert. Darüber hinaus sind zahlreiche weitere statistische Funktionen und Auswertungen mittels künstlicher Intelligenz möglich.
Gerade in der Schraub- und Zuführtechnik für die Automobil-Industrie liegt hier ein entscheidender Vorteil. Durch nachträgliche Überprüfungen von Verschraubungen werden Rückruf-Aktionen vermieden – und bares Geld gespart. Daneben erhöht sich mit der Geräte-Vernetzung die Produktivität im Allgemeinen. Probleme werden sofort erkannt und zügig behoben.
Industry 4.0 is revolutionary because of the optimised self-organisation of companies. The digital development promotes better cooperation between machines and between humans and machines. But it is not only optimised communication strategies that play a role here. In light of the increasing global interconnection, companies now have attractive opportunities of improving their value chain, making their production flexible and customising their products and services.
Business models in connection with screwdriving and feeding systems are changing with Industry 4.0 because more services are available for the product. Remote services, for example, can be used by engineers to work remotely and carry out programming changes off-site. Electronic QR codes offer customers worldwide easy access to descriptions of machine commissioning, detailed documentation or services. Additional software functions can easily be ordered for data-driven business models.
It is much easier today for modern companies to avoid product recalls, which saves time as well as money. How does that work? For automatic screw connections, for example, all data are recorded and checked in random samples. The error rate is reduced towards zero with continuous (including retroactive) re-testing.
For automotive customers, it is possible that a supposed OK curve shows minimal deviations which will be identified as false OK results with continuous digital checks very early on. This avoids grinding in rework. Of course, money has to be invested in digital applications initially. In the medium to long term, however, this investment will definitely pay off for companies with complex, worldwide operations.
So-called “digital twins” now make it possible to visualise all prototypes perfectly on digital platforms. This means that advance simulations can be used to save time during commissioning and start of production.
Detailed information can be found here:
Industry 4.0 links physically remote production machines, transport systems and storage systems with the corresponding planning and control systems. This interconnection creates interfaces that require a common standard (stage 1). The real-time control of the machines changes daily work processes. Machines are operated not only be employees, but humans and machines collaborate actively (stage 2). All this results in cost-efficient production. It also allows manufacturers of screwdriving and feeding systems to better address customer requirements (stage 3). Each stage is the prerequisite for the next.
Here is an overview of all 3 stages.
Zusammenfassend hat die Entwicklung durch Industrie 4.0 vor allem für produzierende Unternehmen beziehungsweise Firmen mit hohen Automatisierungsstandards ein umfassendes Chancenpotenzial:
