FORMING AND FABRICATING AUTOMATION
7.1: Industry 4.0
Building the Connected Fabrication Shop Floor F abricators marry production-monitoring and planning software systems with MES and
must digitize the analog decisions that still drive daily production. It’s not just about connecting machines—it’s also about connecting people to the data. Operators and engineers need to understand the insights coming from the floor in a way that influences their decisions. Otherwise, you’re just creating dashboards that nobody acts on. And, data alone has no value unless it creates visibility. The whole point of a connected factory is to eliminate blind spots so that you can actually
ERP systems and automated metal fabricating machinery— connecting what previously were islands of automation. The result: Focus shifts from merely raising equipment OEE to optimizing overall plant effectiveness. As manufacturers ramp up capacity to meet growing demand in hot markets such as data centers, power infrastructure and industrial enclosures, they’re often confronting the limits of traditional labor-dependent production models. With shops struggling to hire and retain skilled operators, many fabricators have turned to automation—at varying levels— to boost throughput and consistency. Yet, simply adding automation isn’t always enough. To unlock the full potential of automated fabrication equipment, fabricators
Press brakes traditionally have been challenging to monitor because of the inconsistent cycle times, says Casey Greer, lead Industrial Internet of Things consultant at Amada America. Its Influent Bending Dashboard, seen here, gives a crystal-clear view of bending production by monitoring strokes, parts and program runs simultaneously on a timeline and comparing that data across shifts.
end equipment sitting idle. The goal shifts from “How efficient is this machine,” to “How effective is the factory?”
act on what’s happening on your shop floor. Ultimately, winning in manufacturing isn’t about how fast one machine runs. It’s about how smoothly work flows through the entire factory. When fabricators align upstream and downstream processes, they often uncover hidden losses: automation waiting on material, operators waiting on instructions or high-
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