It is also important that the different locations or departments have a coherent idea of what the plans, expectations and the final result are in order to avoid confusion and delays.
Massimiliano Cifalitti, ABB Smart Power's Hub Division, Europe, agrees that the mindset of the company's staff at all levels is the biggest challenge.
"Leaders in general must create the vision and spearhead cultural change in their companies. There are three main values that a manager should always foster. Curiosity: because the team needs to embrace innovation to change the status quo. Courage: because the team and its leader must take risks while maintaining control. And competence: because existing skills will be tested and new skills will be required that will need to be learned.".
It is not uncommon for industrial plant personnel to lack some of the knowledge necessary for network design and not always be able to adopt the latest technologies, such as cloud computing. Data security is another concern and can discourage some companies from adopting Industry 4.0 solutions.
There's also the issue of the slowness to adopt new technologies, perhaps out of fear that they will affect production. The "essence" of any manufacturing plant is to keep the plant running and production going at almost any cost. If a plant isn't running, it doesn't make money.
Furthermore, there is a fear of adopting a new technology too soon. Being one of the first to adopt it carries too many risks for many companies, which prefer to wait while other users solve the initial problems and the technology matures.
Matt Dentino of Farnell Advantech comments on this concern: "Today, the initial implementation of a new technology is much more robust and security-conscious at all levels. We take the technology and break it down into manageable components. Gartner Group conducted a study that predicted there would be more than 50 billion connected devices in the industrial sector by 2025. That suggests the fear of early adoption is subsiding."
Identify the problem
Another crucial challenge is identifying the problem that Industry 4.0 is intended to solve. Many industrial companies do not have a clear idea of what their problem is or how Industry 4.0 can be used to help solve it.
Are you trying to solve a problem with delivery, costs, quality, the tools used, or the performance achieved? Many companies lack a roadmap and the internal expertise needed to implement the right solution. And more importantly, most companies don't have someone willing to take on this role and drive the strategy.
According to Alexandra Rangel, National PowerXpert Application Engineer at Eaton's power components division: "Most of the time it's not that a customer or sector can't find a solution, but rather deciding how to position themselves to think strategically, perhaps with small, gradually evolving projects, but where scalability facilitates achieving maximum impact."
"They ask themselves: How do I capture the data? How do I visualize it? Am I finding any patterns that optimize my plan today? If they have truly progressed in Industry 4.0, they will ask themselves: "How do I integrate intelligent and autonomous decision-making into that process?".
"What can I do in the design and operation of my factory to help me be more effective, not only in the capital planning phase but also in the operational phase? For example, reduce waste?" "In general, preparing for the transition to Industry 4.0 requires answers to almost all of these questions, or many more.".
Technical aspects
From a technical standpoint, obstacles must also be overcome. This is especially true for applications in undeveloped land, where it is often difficult to create the data connectivity networks and deep sensor installations that are essential for Industry 4.0 systems.
In the past, integration has often been a problem. How do you get data from a machine to where it's needed? Previously, data analysis was always performed on a server, in a workshop, or in a maintenance facility, but getting the data to the analysis site was difficult when data collection relied on handheld data loggers that took readings from equipment in the field.
Matt Dentino of Advantech states, "There are many different types of technologies, such as vibration analysis, acoustic analysis, oil analysis, and thermographic analysis, and they all require different equipment or handheld devices. There are likely to be many remote facilities or manufacturing plants that cover large areas under one roof."
"In any case, gathering all that data posed a problem due to the lengths of cable required, because permanently mounting transducers in remote locations and then laying a cable to a central repository was always expensive. Miniaturized equipment allowed data to be captured on-site, but these same devices still involved a certain cost and required personnel to operate them and transfer the collected data.".
This situation has improved with the rise of wireless connectivity technologies, such as LoRaWAN and NB-IoT, and the use of 5G for virtual private networks that can cover a manufacturing center.
Lack of alignment between IT and OT
One of the challenges facing modern businesses is integrating traditional operational technology (OT) with modern information technology (IT). The convergence of IT and OT aims to bring physical OT equipment and devices into the digital realm of IT. This is made possible through machine-to-machine communication and the use of advanced IoT sensors and actuators that can be installed on physical equipment.
When implemented correctly, this convergence of the two domains can help bring business processes, information, and controls together into a single, coherent technology environment, but it must be carefully planned to ensure seamless interoperability, potential scalability, and often future changes.
Barry Turner, Technical Business Development Manager at Red Lion Controls, states: "I would say that the lack of alignment between IT and OT is one of the most common potential problems for those aiming to move to an Industry 4.0 environment. By adding a computing or Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) space to your environment or within your company, you are really trying to extend and enhance an existing IoT context. That's because the IT department already has an IoT that it uses to communicate devices and processes with each other."
"The goal of moving to Industry 4.0 is to connect OT data with the existing IoT framework. This means that IT and OT departments must properly coordinate their security policies and priorities. These things need to be established from the outset so that both departments can work together to ensure the project's success.".
Turner also emphasizes the need for manufacturers to have a clear, achievable goal in mind: "I also often see unclear expectations of what the company is trying to do. Simply connecting OT data with IT won't necessarily work or solve a problem. From the outset, companies need to identify exactly what problem they are trying to solve, what benefits they hope to gain, and how they will measure success. Only after that should they begin the transformation process."
Conclusion
Using IoT and Industry 4.0 in a manufacturing environment has the potential to deliver significant benefits, but it also presents major challenges. The first step is adopting the right mindset and deciding precisely how Industry 4.0 can be leveraged to solve a perceived problem. Other challenges include integrating data sensors, achieving adequate connectivity, and getting the data to where it needs to be. The convergence of operational technology with computing is also a challenge.
Manufacturers looking to leverage the benefits of Industry 4.0 should ask themselves if they have the right partners to guide them through the transition and ensure they are on the right path toward optimized facilities. Leading Industry 4.0 solution providers, such as Red Lion, Eaton, and Schneider, whose products are available through Farnell, can help manufacturers overcome these challenges and make Industry 4.0 work for them.
Article provided by Farnell
