Get ready for Industry 4.0, three things to consider

The machine tools sector was historically spearheaded by Europe, specifically Germany. However, in recent years, Asia, led by Japan, China and South Korea, have swiftly stepped up government-led programs. These include dangling incentive-based initiatives to spur manufacturers to adopt I4.0.

In China, the country’s I4.0 plans are highlighted by its Made in China 2025 program. The 10-year plan is designed to transform China from a manufacturing giant into a world manufacturing power. Among the key sectors to drive this forward include robotics, aerospace equipment, ocean engineering equipment, new energy vehicles, medical devices and agricultural machinery.

In Thailand, the government’s I4.0 initiative is to push for the country to be an innovation-driven economy over the next 20 years. The five key industries designated to drive this program include mechatronics, biofuels, logistic, medical and artificial Intelligence.

It is crucial for government to support these programs to create a more integrated approach and to establish common standards across the manufacturing industries. By understanding these policies and knowing what are the available government-led initiatives such as tax rebates, subsidies and funding options, it will help you make the right decision when investing in I4.0 systems and applications.

The study of Industry 4.0 Global Expert Survey also revealed that though more than half of the companies in Asia Pacific expect that the adoption of I4.0 will help them reduce costs of more than 20% over the next five years, only 39% of the respondents expects revenue gains of over 20% over the same period. These findings show that instead of focusing on short term revenue gains, companies need to focus on the long run to benefit from the evolution.

In Japan, DKSH recently helped a wood flooring manufacturing company by providing integrated automation solutions. Over the years, it has proven that the optimized automated process has significantly improved plant efficiency in terms of cost and production. The new process required only one third of labor, achieved 60% reduction of required machines, increased production volume by threefold and produced 5% increased yield. The decision that our customer made years ago has set them apart from the competitors and be I4.0 ready.

In my view, this increasing awareness shows that implementation of I4.0 will become a “qualifier to compete” and is also likely to be seen by investors as a “qualifier for funding” over the next few years. This should be a key impetus for manufacturers to embark on getting themselves ready to remain competitive in the years ahead.

There is no cookie-cutter solution for manufacturers to apply I4.0. It is important for companies to first evaluate current business operations and manufacturing processes. For machine tools manufacturers, it is crucial to focus on process optimization and to increase the efficiency of operations.

The next critical step is to map where you would like to be in the next three to five years; and finally, build a tailored solution that works best for your organization to close the capability gap.

DKSH has successfully introduced numerous customized technical and engineering system solutions after having evaluated different types of machine tools manufacturers, which are involved in critical areas such as automation, process engineering, CAD/CAM integration, tooling and fixtures. These include:

• FMS (Flexible Manufacturing Systems), which offers high flexibility with maximum automation
• In-process quality control to manufacture and check the quality within the system and adjust the production machine automatically
• Linkage of CAD/CAM and ERP Systems to industrial automation solutions
• Leverage automation solutions to produce RV reducer gears