WJI August 2018 Feature Sample

WIRE JOURNAL AUGUST 2018

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OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL

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FEATURE

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Not all understand/agree exactly what Industry 4.0 is, but there is little doubt that interest in it has grown. This feature presents a range of perspectives.

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Looking back provides an industry springboard forward

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In 2016, two WJI features presented observations from four individuals about Industry 4.0.

WJI revisited them to ask about what changes they have seen since that time.

WJI: How has your activity in Industry 4.0 most changed since the 2016 report?

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WJI July In 2016, it felt like we had to do a lot of education and evangelization about Industry 4.0, 2016 Cover. but now we don’t have to introduce the topic anymore. Our company and client base has grown exponentially, and we’re seeing bigger audiences at our speaking engagements and webinars. However, the one thing I’m very excited by is that we’re moving deeper and deeper in the Industry 4.0 technology to deliver more value. We’ve hired a vice president of data science, Deepak Turaga, who led IBM’s AI and Machine Learning group, so we can move further and truly deliver on the promise of Industry 4.0 with predictive quality and predictive maintenance.

Other industries and media, outside of manufacturing, are catching on to the potential of Industry 4.0. I’ve been asked to be a contributor to forbes.com on the future of manufacturing and Industry 4.0. Additionally, we just closed a new round of funding with Atomico, and throughout the process we saw just how much venture capitalists and large financial institutions are seeing the tremendous value data analytics can provide manufacturers. Willem Sundblad, CEO, Oden Technologies.

Sundblad Editor’s note: Willem Sundblad was chosen for Forbe’s 2018 “30 under 30” list.

As a software/solutions provider we’ve run many webinars and user conferences the past two years where we’ve highlighted Industry 4.0. Other than that our activity is mostly unchanged as we feel we’ve been delivering “Industry 4.0” type solutions for more than 20 years. In my opinion, Industry 4.0 messaging has created an “awareness” of something; however, exactly what I cannot say. I certainly haven’t seen a huge demand for “Industry 4.0” type applications. At the same time, the “digital age” has been pounded into anyone and everyone who will listen. One positive from that focus is that it has engaged IT (Information Technology) and operations people. In many cases operations people have been asking for the data and engineers have been willing to provide it but IT has been standing in the way of making it possible. So for Industry 4.0 messaging to result in actual change, it first has to resonate with the people in IT. Kevin Blais, vice president of New England operations, Wonderware North.

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This focus will continue in WJI The feature (Manufacturing Trends) in the October issue of WJI will include a case study on a cable manufacturer that employs 4.0 and another on an OEM that provides virtual reality.

Since the 2016 report, Cimteq is now able to crystalize in the minds of cable manufacturers what I-4.0 is and what returns to expect when investing in its technologies. We believe that I-4.0 also stands for collaboration, therefore we have embarked on a number of new partnerships with Oden Technologies, AESA and Hitachi as well as strengthening cooperation with existing partners like InnoVites, Wonderware and Autodesk. As a result, sales of our CableMES solution, which is built on Wonderware’s IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) platform, have been astonishing. Ali Shehab, principal, Cimteq.

Prysmian: company’s 1st pilot initiative for Industry 4.0 is ongoing Last October, Prysmian announced that the company was launching its first Factory 4.0 pilot project at its optical cable plant in Calais, France. Per a company spokesman, work continues on the initiative, which was described as “still being in the early stages.” Below, a company official explains why this is an important step.

Industry 4.0 remains a murky concept for much of the wire and cable industry, yet for the Prysmian Group, the world’s largest wire and cable manufacturer, it is seen as a clear step forward.

“Factory 4.0 is a transformational opportunity, allowing us to streamline the way we work and support a sustainable use of resources,” said Prysmian COO Andrea Pirondini. “It is not just a matter of getting the best from our state-of-the-art technology, but a natural evolution of the company’s mission.”

The road to Industry 4.0 includes the four drivers of the company’s Fast Forward Operations program— Human Capital, Factory 4.0, Impeccable Quality and Production Processes Improvement—that seek to optimize all elements of cable production. “As part of this program we’re working on a system to gather and read all production data, machine performance and material flows,” said Prysmian COO Andrea Pirondini. “This will be the new Prysmian Manufacturing Execution System (MES). With the help of an interfunctional team, built ad hoc, we first audited and analyzed the ‘as-is’ of our best factories. We then selected a new frame of reference and enriched it with other best practices.”

The company’s digital focus is a key focus of its Factory 4.0 pilot project at its Calais optical cable plant. Prysmian has teamed up on the project with Italy’s Dassault Systèmes. “Our 3DEXPERIENCE

Members of a Prysmian interfunctional team whose efforts support the ground work for Industry 4.0 platform is a crucial asset for evolving companies, as it can successfully take them into the Industry 4.0 era,” a Dassault spokesman said.

Pirondini declared that the transition to Industry 4.0 represents a crucial element and a natural evolution of the Group’s mission. “Manufacturing is the soul of our company and the plants are our heart...It’s a natural evolution of the company’s mission.”

The goal is that the implementation of the pilot project in Calais will allow Prysmian to develop wider plans, with the objective of progressively deploying Factory 4.0 solutions in all of its 82 plants worldwide.

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FEATURE

Back in 2016 we were mostly explaining and selling the Industry 4.0 benefits in the market. Today we have multiple projects at our customers who see real benefits from the Industry 4.0 concepts. Albert Groothedde, CEO, InnoVites.