I MAG ES COU RTESY O F H E X AGO N 'S MAN U FAC TU RI N G I NTELLI G EN C E D IVI S I O N
Building a Connected Shop USING DATA TO POWER PROCESSES FROM MEASUREMENT TO INSTALLATION BY CHIP MARTIN • HEXAGON
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t can often seem like manufacturing processes are forever in flux and hovering on the precipice of the next big thing, but the unwavering goal of any manufacturer is to gain efficiency. While processes have evolved astronomically since the first nail was hammered into a piece of wood, the purpose of any process change was and continues to be reaching the finish line more quickly, easily, and profitably. Thankfully, the age of information affords us opportunities to make gains not just by building more efficient hammers, today’s state-of-the-art machinery notwithstanding, but by collecting and using data to accomplish more at the front end of projects to simplify downstream tasks and increase profits on future jobs. Digital tools that improve processes at different stages of production enable manufacturers to connect those processes without re-creating data by utilizing a single source of information from start to finish. Regardless of how and at what rate a company is able to connect its digital processes, manufacturing is in the midst of a sea change with data at its heart. CONTINUED ON PAGE 44›
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