The 9-Pillar Model in Automation
Published on : Saturday 08-01-2022
Jasbir Singh on how all automation systems converge in Industry 4.0 for smooth operation and grow with its 9 pillars model.
The following four factors have largely surfaced due to changing market forces, and these result in adaptation of new AI-based innovation or strategy by industry leaders within the enterprise:
1. Cutting costs during the downturn of market – Identify and propose specific cost-reduction projects in the current setup
2. Falling rapidly the availability of the budgets – Diversify the service portfolios towards the mature and other growing sectors, or towards markets less impacted by the demand fluctuation
3. Market sentiments due to fluctuation creates confusions – Mapping the new landscape, identifying actionable opportunities and specific risks evaluation, and
4. Current projects and strategies – Redraw new development plans to focus on automated high-RoI projects using AI and digitalisation.
Understanding the best AI landscape for selected application
Clients often don’t understand what specific AI solutions they need for their current improvement projects. They are mostly influenced by the large vendor companies’ readymade solutions for the similar application/projects having many attractive HMI features.
Improvement projects are often based on erroneous factors and can’t be “plugged in” like an IT solution due some of the following reasons:
a. Considered solution may not sometimes be a right fit to achieve long term solution and overall business goals
b. Presumed solution doesn’t meet the true state of the current data infrastructure and flexible platform for future connectivity and expansion, and
c. A poor choice for AI solutions by the client’s representative as they are sometime influenced by some product or their own company’s rigid procurement procedure.
To reach goals means the consultant has enough understanding about the various AI functionality and flexibility to select the appropriate product that make sense. This begins with the evaluation of the client data sources and business processes for developing a list of logical AI solutions applicable to each machine or system.
With the emergence of Industry 4.0 a large number of advanced applicable techniques and possible solutions based on artificial intelligence are available.
Emerging technologies in process industries are interconnected with each other through digital communication through big data stored and exchange information from cloud-based algorithms. These processes in larger landscape cover all industries/operations, be it metals and steel, hydrocarbons, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, healthcare sector, pulp and paper, defense sector (arms and ammunition factories), aviation or any other production/research establishments. All automation systems of these processes converge in Industry 4.0 for smooth operation and grow with its 9-pillar model:
1. Industrial Internet of Things
2. Big Data and Analytics
3. Autonomous Manufacturing
4. Robots and Cobots
5. Artificial Intelligence
6. Augmented Reality
7. 3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing
8. Shared Applications and Cloud Computing, and
9. Secure Cyber Physical Systems.
Jasbir Singh is an Automation Expert having long experience in Factory Automation, Line Automation, Implementation Strategist, Business Coach, Regular writer on automation, Artificial Intelligence, Robots/Cobots, Digital Technology, Network Communication, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Wireless Communication, Block Chain and use of advance digital technologies. He has established a long association with Business Houses/large production houses to improve factory automation in their production lines as well as productivity improvement in factories in India and overseas; and in advising and designing the units to transform into digital platforms by use of Artificial Intelligence. Email: [email protected]
