Rob Powell, commercial director at software solutions provider Lantek UK, says that via the company’s supply of many CAD/CAM systems, he knows that manufacturers understand the need for sheet-handling systems such as stacker systems for the loading of multiple sizes and specifications of sheet material, as well as the unloading, stacking and sorting of finished parts using automated handling systems such as chutes and robots.
“This type of equipment allows profiling and punching machines to operate without manual intervention, avoids wasted time on the machine for loading and unloading, and gives operators time to do other tasks such as deburring and sorting while the machine is cutting.
“With this type of automation, manufacturers are keeping their machines running for a much higher proportion of the available production time — and maximising their return on investment.
“Additional benefits include flexibility of manufacture, making it possible to change between one job and another without lengthy set-up times. Already within the CAD/CAM software, we can nest and mix parts according to material thickness and type, re-use remnants, and link to MRP systems so that manufacture can accurately fit in with orders and delivery schedules.”
Mr Powell goes on to say that Industry 4.0 looks at the whole of a manufacturer’s business, then incorporates intelligence and autonomous decision making into the mix to produce a ‘smart factory’.
“By creating a virtual model of the factory, which uses information fed back from the machines, processes and sensors, and by making this available from almost any location by means of the Internet of Things — IOT — factories in the future will be able to run automatically for the most part, only flagging up issues to managers when anomalies outside the automated decision-making capabilities of the system are detected.”
Manufacturer collaboration
He says that while this scenario is a little way off reality at the moment, companies like Lantek(
www.lanteksms.com), with its Lantek Factory concept, are making big strides to ensure that it happens. “Collaboration with machine tool manufacturers is a key part of this process.
Where possible, we can already collect information from the machine tool about its status, and this can be fed back into our sheet metal manufacturing execution system software, automatically updating the manufacturing schedule and adjusting job times and costs and comparing them with the plan.
“The systems we offer cover every type of machine; they also extend into other processes such as welding, painting and assembly, with our Lantek Workshop Capture Web system, which is specifically designed for fabrication plants, providing live feedback of manufacturing activity.”
Currently, automated decision making includes the re-ordering of material and the creation of manufacturing orders to produce more parts when stock levels are shown as low by the Lantek Integra Inventory module, while information fed back after each event goes to refine the system for future manufacturing and provide increasingly accurate quotations and cost control — and hence profits.
“Already, Lantek Integra, which is at the heart of the Lantek Factory concept, is fully Web-based. This makes it possible to access data and reports via the IOT for remotely located factories. Tasks that require extensive processing like CAD/CAM are currently an exception to this and are better handled locally.
“A major factor driving Industry 4.0 is the increasing importance of the supply chain integrating customers and suppliers with high levels of transparency.
“Achieving this integration will not only ensure the delivery of high levels of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), which will be made possible by the implementation of Industry 4.0 principles, but also ensure that those companies taking up the challenge will engender loyalty and gain significantly higher-value business from their customers.
“We are seeing growing interest in the principles of Industry 4.0, as manufacturers appreciate the benefits it can deliver for their whole business. We are only at the start of this revolution at the moment, with a lot more development and integration to come — covering every aspect of a business and the performance of its machinery and resources.
“As part of this process, we have just agreed a global innovation partnership with the machine manufacturer Bystronic. It is planned that this will result in the most advanced sheet metal production facilities ever constructed.”