How can companies benefit from adopting Industry 4.0 technologies?

Today, manufacturing is driven by the fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0. This revolution's tools and solutions are profoundly changing how companies manufacture, improve, and distribute their products, and companies willing to embrace these innovations will reap the rewards. But you may be wondering how this innovative technology can benefit your assembly. This article will uncover the potential benefits of adopting these new innovations and the steps you can take to harness these tools effectively. Are you ready to unlock your full potential?

With the rise of product variants, the ideal Smart Factory is ready to accommodate any variants or quick changes. With the right tooling ensemble, the Smart Factory will achieve first-time-right results no matter the complexity of the application, reducing errors, downtime, and costs related to rework on the line. In this way, the Smart Factory will catch errors in the moment before they become a much bigger problem.

There are several ways your facility can embrace the Smart Factory, and depending on the smart assembly tools you currently have, you may need to take different steps to achieve the desired results. In this article, we will uncover the pillars of Smart Factory, starting with the first step: Joint Fastened.

It all starts with that first fastening and tightening of a single joint. On your journey to transform your traditional manufacturing into a fully integrated Smart Factory, the first place you should look is at your fastening process. By integrating smart assembly tools, you are laying the groundwork for a fully functional Smart Factory.

The first step is integrating smart electric tools into your assembly operations. Of course, depending on your assembly needs, you must determine the best action plan for your assembly. But if you’re currently manufacturing without smart electric tools, you may be surprised to know the benefits, particularly in error-proofing. Atlas Copco’s smart tools offer operator feedback, alerting an operator to tightening errors in real-time. Your costs will be significantly lower by reducing errors, scrap, and rework. Furthermore, when you use them in conjunction with a controller, our smart tools allow for complete traceability and the opportunity to build optimized tightening strategies ideal for you and your applications.

Related: Visit our website to discover all the benefits of using smart handheld tools, or read our article to uncover your application's best tools.

Today, industrial manufacturing is becoming more complex. Not only is our technology becoming more complex to create, but product variation is also affecting how we operate. As manufacturers try to keep up manually with this growing complexity, the risk of human errors increases. If not caught early on, these errors can lead to high costs and downtime related to scrap and rework. This makes smart manufacturing even more vital for manufacturers to adopt.

To help mitigate this issue and improve first-time-right production, Atlas Copco has developed digital solutions that will work alongside operators to drive better manufacturing performance in a safer way with fewer errors, higher quality and throughput, faster changeovers, and less downtime.

One of these Industry 4.0 solutions is Industrial Location. Industrial Location is Atlas Copco’s line of workstation solutions that use vision technology and are designed to boost flexibility and productivity at a single station. These solutions track operator movements, ensuring each task is completed accurately. Should an error occur (e.g., the wrong smart assembly tool being used, the wrong bolt being tightened in a sequence), the solution has features to prevent the operator from moving on until corrections are made.

Intuitive software offers a powerful way to minimize errors and to create, control, and visualize assembly processes. Avantguard stands as the ultimate software solution for error-proofing manufacturing operations. It is transforming the assembly process by delivering unmatched efficiency and product excellence. By revolutionizing assembly procedures across a variety of product ranges, Avantguard detects errors and effectively guides operators through critical tasks, such as repair processes, resulting in a measurable positive impact on operational uptime and efficiency.

As we discussed, complex assembly and product variants increase the risk of errors and mistakes on the line. This leads to increased downtime and rework-related costs. To remain competitive in the era of Industry 4.0, manufacturers must integrate smart assembly tools and solutions. Once you’ve successfully adopted electric and cordless battery tools and digital error-proofing solutions that work alongside your operators, the next step is combining the worlds of both the operator and the robot.

This highly automated system benefits you by automating repetitive daily tasks, thus streamlining processes such as fastening and gluing and ultimately leading to higher output. This leaves ample opportunity for your operators to complete more meticulous tasks that require a human hand, combining the best of the robotic and human worlds. The combination offers an unprecedented level of assembly station control, enhancing productivity, operator ergonomics, and environmental impact.

Explore how Atlas Copco is streamlining automation integration—visit our website for insights or watch our on-demand webinar to learn more!

To truly embrace smart manufacturing, manufacturers must digitally collect and analyze data. By capturing real-time production data, manufacturers can uncover and analyze past trends and patterns. This enables them to gain clear visibility into their assembly processes, allowing for the identification of potential issues and the ability to make more informed decisions.

To help you remain proactive, Atlas Copco has several services and solutions that can provide real-time data analytics about your assembly. Two of our key software solutions for gathering the required data are ToolsNet 8 and ToolsTalk 2.

• ToolsNet 8: ToolsNet 8 is a versatile data collection and process improvement software tailored to meet your unique needs. Built on robust production data collection, it simplifies production analysis and empowers you to drive continuous process enhancements. With ToolsNet 8, you gain full control over your operations, reducing rework, improving quality, and maximizing uptime.
• ToolsTalk 2: This client-server software revolutionizes configuration and asset management, offering fast configuration, full visibility, and traceability. Designed for ease of use, it features a robust Functionality Management System (FMS) to assign features effortlessly. Enhance quality control, streamline production, and maximize uptime with ToolsTalk 2.

Flexibility is key to maintaining a competitive edge. In this everchanging market, you and your operators must adapt to these changes and harness the power of the fully integrated Smart Integrated Assembly. By doing so, your facility will benefit from:

• Increased operational efficiency
• Enhanced product quality
• Improved flexibility
• Reduced waste and energy consumption
• Improved Safety

As each solution interacts with the next, you will better understand your smart manufacturing facility, be able to spot trends, and take action when needed. With informed data and smart assembly tools, you can produce goods more efficiently and productively. In this way, Industry 4.0 technologies enable you and your operators to meet customer needs.

What if you could create an end-to-end, fully integrated manufacturing process on a factory level? What could you achieve with smart manufacturing tools and solutions in your assembly?

Of course, you must also consider the initial cost of this transition. In the long run, integrating smart manufacturing systems into your daily assembly will greatly benefit your facility. However, you must consider the cost of this transition, including the initial investment, the risk of cyber threats, the complexity of integration, the skill gap, and the reliability and maintenance of the systems. To learn more about some of these potential risks, read our article: What are the potential risks of relying on Industry 4.0 technologies?

Thankfully, when you choose Atlas Copco for all your Smart Integrated Assembly needs, you are also choosing a team of experts who are ready to help you on your journey.

Embrace the fully integrated Smart Factory and empower your operators to do more with solutions designed to improve assembly. Whether you’re looking for new Industry 4.0 solutions or simply want to improve uptime on an application, we have the solutions you need to bring your factory into the future of manufacturing.

Start your journey today. Contact us to experience Smart Integrated Assembly.