_______________________________________________________________________________________________ Smart
Factories
are increasingly using these tools to monitor energy usage, ensure accurate carbon emission reporting, and identify areas for improvement.
within the factory. Empowering shop-floor staff to make the right real-time decisions, without having to leave the factory floor, saves huge amounts of time wasted walking, talking and waiting for managers.
3. Using technology to support sustainability
Sustainability, which has grown in importance for reputational and cost-efficiency reasons, is now a regulatory requirement. New regulations, such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, which affects manufacturers trading with or within the European Union, now require manufacturers to achieve a detailed understanding of the energy consumption associated with each production process.
Smart factory technologies can play a significant role in understanding and improving performance here. Manufacturers
The pragmatic path to the smart factory
The smart factory movement is advancing, driven by competitive, cost and sustainability pressures, and more accessible and affordable technologies. Research institutions are producing increasingly innovative solutions, delivered through the cloud and cost-effective software-as-a-service subscriptions.
But the smart factory is not about technology for technology’ s sake. It’ s about using practical, proven solutions to tackle the most important operational challenges, identify the main causes of downtime, improve planning and decision-making on the shop floor, enhance sustainability, and inform continuous improvement activities that drive efficiency, improve productivity, and reduce costs.
With this pragmatic approach, focused on addressing clearly defined problems and opportunities for improvement, smart manufacturers are navigating the challenges of today and building a more resilient, productive and competitive future. ■
Chris Iveson fourjaw. com
Chris Iveson is CEO of FourJaw Manufacturing Analytics. Founded in 2020 as a spinout from the University of Sheffield’ s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, FourJaw is a UK-based SaaS company empowering manufacturers of all sizes to enhance productivity, reduce energy usage and grow more profitably. FourJaw’ s plug-andplay machine monitoring platform integrates seamlessly with machines of any age or brand. It is trusted by over 140 manufacturers globally operating in various subsectors, including aerospace, automotive, energy and food production.
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