Industry 4.0 is a new stage of the industrial revolution characterized by the full penetration of the Internet and IT technologies. Industry 4.0 implies the use of the Internet of Things and Big Data when devices are linked together and independently find ways to reduce costs.

 

Although RAMI 4.0 might be difficult to interpret, its three-dimensional structure and supporting technologies demonstrate a vast number of Industry 4.0 solutions. Factories and plants all over the world are taking advantage of digitalized manufacturing and achieving significant improvements in their KPIs by implementing the RAMI 4.0 structure. Below are examples.

Successfully Implemented Solutions

Cascade, a manufacturer of paper, cardboard and textile products, has 17 plants all over the world, nearly 90 processing lines and several dozen paper machines. The company decided to upgrade its existing MES system to a more advanced one which can present data in real time. The company required new architecture to support machines and make communications completely transparent across all production lines and at various enterprises within the group.

Cascade used an OPC server which enabled the exchange of data with any of the machines in production, where almost 500 PLCs are installed. As a result, the company has improved operational efficiency by 5% and provided the basis for simple scalability of its new systems in the future.

The example of Cascade illustrates the Industry 4.0 paradigm represented by access to data, real-time management and intelligent production optimization. A few more examples:

• Thames Water, the UK’s leading water utility company, uses sensors, analytics, and real-time data to anticipate disruptions and respond more quickly to critical situations such as leaks or issue warnings about changes in weather.
• Apache Corporation, a leading oil and gas producer, uses this approach to monitor pumping stations. Thanks to this, the company has increased oil production by an additional $19 billion a year.

Predictive service is one of the top trends in industry. Solutions brought about by Industry 4.0 helped Cascade, Thames Water and Apache Corporation to improve their existing technology and ensure the uninterrupted work.

Industry 4.0: How to Succeed

Even though digitalized manufacturing has proven its efficiency to a number of industry leaders, implementing Industry 4.0 solutions may be challenging, especially when you lack technical resources. Specialists must possess hands-on experience in Open Core Engineering, cloud computing, cyber–physical systems or PLC programming.

However, there is an option for companies which are determined to bring the manufacturing process to a brand new digital level using the latest technological capabilities such as cooperation with external partners. Hiring an outsourced workforce can be a smart move, taking into the account the overall level of qualifications and experience of implementation which you get in return. Other advantages are reduced costs of staff education and quick access to a professional team.

JCommerce professionals deliver Industry 4.0 solutions for companies from countries such as Switzerland and Belgium, and from different types of manufacturing industries. Savvy PLC engineers, business analysts and project managers work according to the described RAMI 4.0 model to enable the development of intelligent industrial platforms. JCommerce is thus able to implement advanced projects in a safe and thoughtful way, reducing the risk of failure during the implementation of control systems. Our clients do not merely receive a “new control system”. They receive confidence, flexibility, scalability and manageability of the production process, with full supervision, measurable savings and intelligent control. This is how Industry 4.0 works.