Industry 4.0 explained
Industry 4.0 & IIoT for smart manufacturing.
Industry 4.0 and Industrial IoT (IIoT) are shaping the manufacturing landscape. Whether you're in the appliance, automotive, medical, food and beverage, or any other industry, you must adopt Industry 4.0 principles and IIoT technologies to remain competitive.
The adoption of these principles and technologies is a journey with no fixed end point. It's essential to select an Industry 4.0 and IIoT implementation partner that can work with a manufacturer to establish, source and integrate the most suitable technologies.
No solutions integrator can accurately forecast what technology you'll need in the future. For this reason, Facteon supplies flexible solutions that change in response to your business needs.
Industry 4.0 & IIoT technologies in action
Industry 4.0 and IIoT technology selection is arguably the most challenging part of an adoption journey. For that reason, manufacturers need an experienced partner. The Facteon team will be on the factory floor, helping you to optimise your operations through the selective application of the most appropriate technologies and lean manufacturing approaches.
IIoT software and hardware are often an affordable option for manufacturers of all sizes. Facteon offers a range of off-the-shelf and customised solutions that deliver significant operational performance benefits.
Understanding IIoT Software & Hardware Together
IIoT software and hardware collectively allow you to draw data from your machinery. This facilitates informed decision making based on machinery information, rather than past trends, or instinct.
In an increasingly automated and competitive environment, manufacturers need to make decisions in real-time, based on machine data. Facteon offers robust hardware and software solutions for data extraction and presentation.
All Facteon IIoT technologies are built based on Industry 4.0 standards. This is in contrast to legacy systems that are often retrospectively adapted to meet these standards. Learn more about IIoT here.
Robotics for Smart Manufacturing
Robotics and robotic cells are a staple in smart manufacturing facilities. This flexible technology solves a number of manufacturing challenges, from parts transfer and loading to a final quality check before products leave the factory. Often, robotic cells are integrated with an existing production line to decrease cycle time, for example.
Facteon also integrates robotics for quality control purposes to eliminate the potential for human error. With a robot on your quality control team, you can be certain that every product that leaves your facility will perform in market. Learn more about robotics here.
Automation in the Industry 4.0 era
In the application of automation and assembly technologies, it's key to work with an organisation that understands the importance of selectively implementing the most relevant technologies in your smart factory.
Facteon integrates proven automation solutions with bespoke equipment to produce robust and reliable machinery. We operate on the forward-edge of robotics and vision system technologies to deliver operational performance benefits to our customers. Learn more about automation and assembly here.
Factory optimisation using IIoT software
Facteon offers modern factory optimisation software to improve machinery performance, while decreasing waste and costs.
Often, IIoT solutions can integrate with existing machinery and production lines via the PLC and with the application of sensors. Our IIoT software, COSMOline, provides manufacturers with valuable operational visibility. It converts data to information in real-time. A manufacturer can make decisions regarding their production line's immediate state. This IIoT solution covers maintenance, efficiency, quality and environmental resource consumption. Learn more about IIoT software, COSMOline, here.
IIoT Hardware Integration
Facteon introduces robust IIoT hardware in manufacturing facilities to provide a direct and dedicated machine connection.
An IIoT hardware device, such as Facteon's COSMOedge, enables the real-time transformation and visualisation of data. To ensure data is always available in real-time, Facteon's hardware is equipped with offline and auto-sync functionalities. Learn more about IIoT hardware, COSMOedge, here.
A manufacturer's Industry 4.0 & IIoT implementation journey
A manufacturer's adoption of new technologies should be driven by business needs, rather than industry trends. At Facteon, we're Industry 4.0 experts, not consultants. We roll up our sleeves and work through the challenges that your operations manager, factory supervisors and production line staff face on the factory floor. Working alongside our in-house Industry 4.0 experts is a dedicated IIoT team that builds, integrates and supports IIoT software and hardware solutions for manufacturers of all sizes.
Getting Manufacturers Industry 4.0-Ready
Every successful Industry 4.0 journey starts with a plan.
Facteon's in-house experts work to understand your manufacturing pain points. We'll establish how we can best solve your challenges in the present, while also enabling the flexibility required to alter your approach in future should your business needs or competitive environment change.
This stage is essentially an audit of your existing technology stack and helps you to understand where your Industry 4.0 journey will take you.
Developing Strategy & Roadmap
At this stage, we focus on developing a customised Industry 4.0 strategy. This strategy informs your Industry 4.0 roadmap.
By formulating a step-by-step plan for your Industry 4.0 journey, you'll have the resources to explain the short and long-term impacts of operational change. This is essential in communicating with key internal stakeholders.
The Facteon team gives you the tools you need to help your team understand the necessity of this journey.
At this stage, demonstrating value is often best achieved via a proof of concept.
An Industry 4.0 roadmap cuts through the confusion by informing your Industry 4.0 journey from day one.
Discerning Industry 4.0 & IIoT Technology Selection
The Facteon team works with you to select the most appropriate and cost-effective technologies for your facility.
This means that you're only integrating and financing technologies that improve efficiencies, raise product quality or save money from the moment of integration.
Existing machinery can often be retrofitted with sensors to bring it into the Internet Age.
If you decide to rebuild your factory from the ground up, we can help with that too.
Time to Integrate
It's at this stage that Facteon's high levels of vertical integration provide value to manufacturers.
With an unrivalled depth of experience, we're well equipped to develop a bespoke solution for manufacturers with unique business needs. Facteon also has an in-house IIoT team committed to developing, supporting and integrating the latest IIoT solutions.
Regardless of whether your facility requires an off-the-shelf or customised solution, Facteon delivers expertise during the integration stage.