Each post in this blog has: 1. A bit of gyan (knowledge in Sanskrit) on Industry 4.0, specifically for MSMEs. 2. Some Etc (meaning Etcetera), which is interesting stuff that has nothing to do with work. Industry 4.0 is a multi-disciplinary field, and knowledge on it is not available conveniently packaged in handbooks. Acquiring knowledge is …
Why Industry 4.0 and LEAN go together As the number of machines on our shop floor increases, the darkness increases, and we stand there, wondering, fearing, doubting…..We have no idea of the current production quantity, which machines are running and which are idle, what is the ROI on the machines, and a hundred other things …
Machine productivity, Andon boards and stale bread – the connection Stale data on Andon boards is as useless as stale bread The purpose of Andon boards is to display machine productivity information to everyone on the shop floor to: – Provide instant production feedback on targeted and achieved production and productivity – Highlight production problems …
Industry 4.0 technologies and key components – what are they ? The key Industry 4.0 technologies are these: Cyber physical system, IOT and Cloud computing. Cyber-physical system (CPS) in Industry 4.0: Basically, a machine that is controlled or monitored by a computer that is directly connected to the internet. Cyber means ‘involving, using or relating to …
Formula for OEE calculation – diagnosing problems and fixing them The formula for OEE is simple, but the ingredients that go into the calculation for OEE decide whether you get a proper number. Availability = (Running time / Available time) Performance = (Real production / Theoretical production) Quality = (Good products / Real production) Formula …
How the 8 wastes of LEAN manufacturing can be reduced with Industry 4.0 Industry 4.0 can play a great role in reducing the 8 wastes of Lean manufacturing. Lean manufacturing, or LEAN, is the systematic elimination of waste (‘Muda’) within a manufacturing system. Lean manufacturing is derived from the Toyota Production System. To understand the wastes …
Implementation roadmap for a painless takoff Industry 4.0 implementation involves deploying its two basic components: A machine monitoring system that collects data electronically from the machine, and stores it in a database (picture 1). Software that automates or improves various activities with the data stored in the database (picture 2). The database of machine activity …
CNC machine monitoring – 5 benefits in machine downtime and production Machine downtime in a typical CNC shop floor can be anywhere between 20 to 50 % – the lower number in mass production and the higher one in small batch production with frequent setups. Working 3 shifts, this translates to between 5 to 12 hours …
Industry 4 revolution and illogical IT spread In most organizations, the IT network covers all the functions outside the shop floor – Accounts, HR, Stores, Sales, etc. Managers have accurate and up-to-date data on all these functions, and can take quick decisions in these areas. The shop floor, however, is an island in this sea …
What is Industry 4.0 – and what it is NOT Industry 4.0 is a system that comprises these components: 1. Machines 2. Sensors 3. Data transfer over internet (IOT) 4. Software that analyzes the data and takes decisions – data analytics The Industry 4.0 components in the picture combine to do this: 1. There’s a machine 2. …
