What is Industry 4.0?

The dawn of a new way of working is upon us.

Industry 4.0 is shorthand for the 4th industrial revolution. It refers to the ongoing transformation of traditional manufacturing through the introduction of the latest Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology. It will enable increased automation and improved machine-to-machine (M2M) communication as well as enhanced monitoring and diagnostics. These processes will reduce costly downtime, errors, and the need for human intervention.

This new, connected way of working will transform the performance and operational efficiency of coding and marking processes. IIoT technology and cloud-connected systems will facilitate automated manufacturing operations, error-free coding, late-stage customisation and improved OEE. It’s a game-changer.

But what does Industry 4.0 actually mean for busy engineers and production managers in FMCG sectors like food and beverage or pharmaceutical? Let’s take a look at the tangible cost-saving benefits a connected site could bring to your coding and marking operations.

What are the implications for FMCG manufacturers?

In FMCG sectors where the throughput is unrelenting, the impact of unpredictable downtime, unexpected stoppages and maintenance costs is business-critical. Streamlined operations are an absolute necessity. That’s where Industry 4.0 will have a transformative impact, providing a level of simplicity and insight that will enable radical gains in efficiency, productivity and OEE, while reducing downtime and TCO.

Let’s take a closer look at how your operations can benefit.

Remote control and coding automation

With a connected coding and marking setup, coding can become truly automated. You can access your printers remotely, populating code data directly from a connected database and controlling changeovers from your ERP or MES system. That means seamlessly applying codes to packaging as part of one intelligent and interconnected factory operation.

Prevent faults from occurring

When your coding and marking machines are connected to the cloud, maintaining peak performance no longer requires the physical intervention of an engineer. Thanks to remote diagnostics, minor faults can be identified and resolved by off-site service teams – before they become major faults that cause downtime.

Gather crucial OEE information to drive continual line efficiency

Industry 4.0 gives you around-the-clock access to web-based performance metrics for every printer on your network. And it’s not just printer status that you can monitor, but metrics like service history, uptime and downtime, throughput and consumables levels.

Drill down to the level of an individual printer or get a broad view of your entire printer estate, across every production facility and every region in your group. The ability to assimilate global performance data on one screen can have a game-changing impact on your business, empowering intelligent production and procurement decisions based on real-world data.

“Cloud computing makes operational data and information highly accessible, facilitating the collection of big data. That creates a platform for breakthroughs in proactive service and advanced service solutions.”– Paul Clarke, Inkjet Product Director, Domino

Why it’s best to be ready

Thanks to the transformative impact on efficiency, early adopters of Industry 4.0 technology can leverage significant competitive advantage. Within a few short years, the adoption of Industry 4.0 technology will become a necessity to meet your production targets and avoid being left behind.