Industry 4.0 is the latest, “smart” trend in the manufacturing industry. By combining data exchange and automation, manufacturing processes can be optimized. But to deliver on the promise of faster, cheaper, more efficient production, more is needed.
The promise of Industry 4.0 is that by using digital technologies and a good understanding of production processes, these operations can be optimized. The practice proves more recalcitrant. Not all machines and computers are made to talk to each other, let alone understand each other.
“At least a third of the time and budget for an average Industry 4.0 transformation,” says Jitesh Kohli, founder and CEO of Solulever, “goes into making the integration and correct exchange of data. Another quarter is spent on customizing the platform and getting it working within different factories.”
“Industry 4.0 has the potential to revolutionize the production process,” Kohli is convinced, “but the fact remains that there are many technical complexities.” Our solution, according to Kohli, is a manufacturing connectivity and intelligence platform that integrates data from production and IT systems, and where edge and cloud computing reinforce each other.
“There is a good combination of edge, fog and cloud computing. Edge and fog computing provides real-time analytics, while cloud computing enables cross-plant analytics. On top of that, the platform is specifically designed for the manufacturing industry.”
This removes the main objections manufacturers have in advance, such as, Industry 4.0 is too expensive and the time to value is too long. This single platform solves the complexities between OT and IT. It is flexible enough to offer different solutions for different production facilities. As a result, the time to value is short. With this platform, you get the most out of the benefits Industry 4.0 has to offer.
