Eaton Podcast: Taking the First Step – Implementing Industry 4.0 Technologies in Industrial Facilities
October 12, 2021
Industry 4.0 is well underway. And for many industrial companies the idea of implementing a digital strategy can be overwhelming. With cost implications and process considerations, it’s difficult to know where to begin. In this episode, Eaton solution architects Tony Trim and Alejandro Barreto-Gutierrez discuss what implementing Industry 4.0 technologies really means at a practical level and how to get started.
Key takeaways:
- – Key considerations for implementing Industry 4.0 in industrial facilities include scalability, cybersecurity, CapEx and OpEx cost, training and change management.
- – Facilities with a predominantly analog environment should start by defining opportunities for a quick win to use as a proof of concept to demonstrate the benefits on Industry 4.0.
- – Facilities equipped with some smart devices should consider installing devices, communications and infrastructure to capture and interpret data from your equipment to drive planning and decision-making.
- – The benefits of a subscription software (SaaS) model vs. purchasing a software application include lower entry costs, system maintenance and upgrades are managed by the software provider, and cloud-based solutions make disaster recovery much faster and less difficult.
- – Predictive maintenance can help prevent unplanned downtime due to equipment failure and can be one of the most valuable aspects of capturing data.
- – Leveraging the cloud allows users the flexibility to access and configure the applications they need to match their system requirements.
- – Having a central repository can help aggregate data, while digital tools like artificial intelligence and machine learning can help format the data so users can better understand it and know how to take action.
- – The right solution provider can help identify areas of risk that are not currently effectively monitored or understood and recommend solutions that will deliver the insights that you need to maximize uptime and inform decisions.
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