Securing an Autonomous Future in Manufacturing
Published on : Wednesday 09-02-2022
India has the potential for long-term competitiveness and sustainability which in turn will solidify its position as a global manufacturing hub, says Sridhar Dharmarajan.
The manufacturing sector today is moving at an immense pace with Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing quickly becoming synonymous with value creation, from research and development (R&D) to the shop floor.
While the two key words – autonomy and automation – are used interchangeably sometimes, both processes are meritorious in their ability to drive manufacturing innovation, but it is autonomy that is the game-changing future we must secure.
Autonomy, and autonomous solutions, go beyond automation, either by adding smart sensing, machine cognition, machine learning or artificial intelligence to reduce or remove the need for human intervention entirely. In an ideal and fully-autonomous environment, the system is capable, not just of performing tasks, but also reacting to events.
Yet, why is there such a big move towards autonomy in manufacturing? For starters, the impetus to drive manufacturing intelligence solutions and to usher in Industry 4.0 is compelling.
A 2019 Deloitte study1 found that smart factory initiatives have given companies 12 per cent labour productivity gains in the past three years and that productivity gains could 'grow at a compound annual rate of 2.3% during 2025-2030'.
According to American market research firm Homeland Security Research, the global Industry 4.0 market is projected to reach US$214 billion by 2023. Its report, ‘Global Industry 4.0 Market & Technologies 2018-2023’ report2 noted the importance that both advanced and developing economies must embrace Industry 4.0 to increase their manufacturing competitiveness.
In India, there is much excitement surrounding smart manufacturing. When the government launched its “Make in India” initiative in 2014, it had big ambitions: it aimed to increase the manufacturing sector’s contribution to India’s GDP to 25 per cent by 2025 while simultaneously creating 100 million jobs in the country.
We cannot deny that manufacturing represents one of the greatest opportunities for India, not only to spur economic growth but also job creation, innovation and the move towards Industry 4.0.
There is very real and tangible value to these opportunities: McKinsey identifies several sectors which could generate, within the next seven years, about $320 billion more in gross value added (GVA) than they do now. These sectors include chemical products and petrochemicals, agriculture and food processing, electronics and semiconductors, capital goods and machine tools, iron ore and steel, and automotive components and vehicles – all sectors which would benefit greatly from a push towards smart manufacturing that truly lives up to its ‘smart’ moniker.
As such, there is no better time than now to take a deep dive into the discussion of automation vs autonomy, and to establish how the industry can secure an autonomous future from an automated present.
Data-driven future
To put the ‘smart’ in smart manufacturing is to enable manufacturers to maximise the use of data generated during manufacturing processes. After all, autonomy is the ultimate form of putting data to work, and to drive innovation across the shop floor.
Deloitte, in a research piece3, outlined the huge potential of autonomy in the manufacturing sector, pointing to autonomous robots as among many other solutions that would increase efficiency and productivity, while reducing error and risks, improve employee safety and enhance revenue by improving order fulfilment rates, delivery speed, and finally, customer satisfaction.
An example is autonomous drones, which can be used in various warehouse operations, from inbound logistics in time-critical situations; carrying materials from storage to factory; transporting directly from receiving to shipping; or efficiently scanning inventory and significantly reducing labour costs. Far from replacing human intervention, however, autonomous solutions can propel employees to upskill and be re-trained in high-value technological expertise.
So, what will it take for autonomous solutions to truly take hold in the manufacturing sector?
Shop floor frameworks
For this, we explore an in-depth study4 published in the International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal by researchers Linus Thomson, Anmar Kamalaldin, David Sjödin & Vinit Parida, which dives into the interplay of technology, ecosystem, and business models for the creation of maturity frameworks for autonomous solutions in manufacturing firms.
The researchers point to three ‘needs’ for a framework that guides the shop floor towards maturity in autonomous solutions:
1. First, the need to consider the business model elements for advancing levels of autonomous solution maturity;
2. Second, the need to extend the understanding of autonomous solutions beyond the boundaries of a single firm to incorporate an ecosystem perspective; and
3. Third, the need to advance understanding of how firms can successfully develop and commercialise autonomous solutions, taking into consideration the importance of alignment between technological, ecosystem, and business model perspectives.
This indicates that far from just utilising, say, drone robots, there needs to be an ecosystem-wide embrace of autonomous solutions with the aim to integrate them into a mature framework that carefully balances data, intelligence and technology with business considerations.
In this respect, for Hexagon, data is in our DNA. Data is axiomatic for all Hexagon’s solutions, software, and systems; it is utilised in all aspects ranging from design to engineering, production and metrology. Data utilisation, we believe, is the most innovative way to make manufacturing smarter and more autonomous.
Hexagon’s software and systems form a digital matrix that is its nexus, or DNA, which creates solutions throughout the entire manufacturing process. Data allows the formation of interconnected links in the manufacturing ecosystem by capturing quality data for measurement, positioning and inspection.
Hence, data is the nodal point between the real and virtual worlds, transitioning real-world data into the digital domain. This then allows us to create a future where data is autonomously employed to drive sustainability and productivity.
Innovation in D&E
Our software solutions, including simulation software, facilitate the exploration of prototypes without the need for physical elements, which can be a drain in resources, further enhancing autonomy in smart manufacturing.
All our solutions maintain quality in component manufacturing and productivity, including factoring in a huge number of variables that can affect downstream manufacturing processes. Our computer-aided engineering (CAE) software allows for optimisation that drives innovation, product quality and efficiency throughout the manufacturing process, while our Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs) and systems integrate metrology hardware and software capabilities that allow for automation of cross-sectional measurement, quality assurance, inspection capacity, and productivity.
Meanwhile, digitalisation allows for real-time data and intuitive navigation via Hexagon’s HxGN SFx Asset Management System; fully automating measurement jobs with Hexagon’s TEMPO and EYE-D; and even monitoring environmental variations with Hexagon’s Pulse Wireless device.
By having CMM-enhanced smart factories, Hexagon aims to raise India’s manufacturing sector to new heights. By driving both profitability and sustainability, the seamless automation and digitalisation of routine tasks will increase efficiency and make manufacturing smarter.
Smart manufacturing technologies lay down the foundations for an autonomous future, and India has the potential for long-term competitiveness and sustainability which in turn will solidify its position as a global manufacturing hub.
References
1. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/manufacturing/driving-value-smart-factory-technologies.html
2. https://www.rolls-royce.com/country-sites/india/discover/2018/industry-4-0-and-indian-manufacturing.aspx
3. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/manufacturing/articles/autonomous-robots-supply-chain-innovation.html
4. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11365-020-00717-3
Sridhar Dharmarajan, EVP & MD, Hexagon & MSC Software, is a Mechanical Engineering Post Graduate from Indian Institute of Science Bangalore. Sridhar is responsible for Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence Business Operations and P&L for India.
