Digitalization

Factory Worker using Digitalization Technology

Whether you’re looking to improve efficiency, reduce downtime, or deal with labor shortages, digitalization provides new tools and methods to address “old” challenges in manufacturing.

What is Digitalization?

For manufacturers, digitalization means using digital tools such as IoT devices, AI, and edge/cloud computing to gain better visibility into their processes and outcomes. But digitalization doesn’t just mean more technology on the manufacturing floor – it extends all the way from product development, factory optimization and back-office operations to supply chain functions and data analytics.

Why embark on the digital journey?

The benefits of embarking on a digital journey can be seen throughout the manufacturing floor – and beyond – through increased efficiency and quality, reduced costs throughout the product lifecycle, faster decision-making with fewer unknowns, and even an improved customer experience. And in most cases, manufacturers see a combination – or even all – of these benefits.

Digitalization:
The transformation and the journey

Implementing digital tools to improve manufacturing functions and outcomes is referred to as a “digital transformation.” And the process of implementing these digital tools is referred to as the “digital journey.”

Contact a
Digitalization Expert

How has Patti Engineering helped our clients, and why are we different?

Patti Engineers working on Manufacturing Floor
There’s no shortage of people who can tell you what digitalization can do – and in the context of manufacturing as a whole, they’re not wrong. But Patti Engineering will collaborate with you to understand your operation and uncover what digitalization can do for you.

We’re digitalization experts who actually own (and wear) steel-toed shoes. We take the time to get to know your facility, your operations and processes, and your challenges. Then we make recommendations that fit your business needs and goals.

And we know that digitalization is a journey – it starts with a first step and continues with a well-defined outcome and plan to reach that outcome. Patti Engineering is a trusted advisor throughout your digital journey, helping you define the path and take those steps.

Will your manufacturing operation benefit from a digital transformation?

We understand that not every company will reap significant benefits from digitalization. But many will – especially if you have a problem that can’t be solved with traditional methods. Let’s face it, developing a hypothesis and testing it out by trial and error can be costly and time-consuming. Here are some of the signs that digitalization can help you:

Operational efficiency is lower than expected (or desired)
Equipment isn’t running at full or expected capacity
Downtime – whether planned or unplanned – is extensive
Scrap and rework costs are too high
Product development time is too long
Product implementations and changeovers are plagued with last-minute changes
You have a wealth of data but don’t know what to do with it all
Revenue and growth are stagnant or falling below benchmarks

Some of these signs will be obvious, and those are the issues that most often drive manufacturers to embark on the digital transformation. But during this journey, they also find that digitalization uncovers “hidden” issues that are difficult to identify in day-to-day operations and data.

The assessment can be boiled down to two scenarios…If there’s a gap between your operation’s performance and its potential, you need to start on a digital journey. Or if there’s a gap between your operation’s current performance and your requirements – in other words, you need to get more out of your system than it’s currently providing – digitalization can help by streamlining and improving processes.

What does a successful digital transformation entail?

IT-OT Convergence Digital Infographic
Digitalization isn’t simply a matter of implementing software and letting it run, so to speak. To be successful – and to realize the full benefits of digitalization – manufacturers need to take a full lifecycle approach. Patti Engineering breaks this down into five phases:

Phase 1

Data Gathering – analyze the current situation to understand what’s working, what’s not, and where there are opportunities for improvement.

Phase 2

Analysis – determine which digital strategies and tools can be most helpful and how they will impact operations, processes, and outcomes.

Phase 3

Implementation – develop a detailed plan of what to implement, how it will be implemented, and what outcomes can be expected.

Phase 4

Deployment – execute the first deployment (the first “step” on the digital journey), typically for one process or aspect of the operation.

Phase 5

Expansion and Lifecycle Management – analyze the success of the first deployment, make adjustments where needed, and move forward with additional implementations.

Let Patti Engineering guide you on your digital journey.

There are plenty of companies that can program automation systems. And there are plenty of companies that can perform data analytics and understand digitalization. But Patti Engineering is one of the few companies that is an expert in both manufacturing and digitalization.

We have a deep understanding of manufacturing operations and the challenges and opportunities that manufacturers face, and we understand what it takes to undergo a digital transformation and make it work for the client. In other words, we’ve bridged the gap between OT (operations technology) and IT (information technology).

We also understand that a digital transformation can seem daunting, and it is a big undertaking. So, we start by taking a first step – looking at an area where improvement is needed, whether it’s a “big” problem that you can’t solve with traditional methods or a recurring problem that you just can’t shake. We guide you through the digitalization process to address that problem, and then help you refine your digitalization tools and processes and expand them to other areas.

Resources:

Siemens: The Digital Twin

Google Cloud: What is Digital Transformation?

Digital and Visual Twins: FANUC’s Vision for the Future of Manufacturing

You might already be using some of these digitalization tools:

Edge and Cloud Computing

Data collection and analysis at the device (edge) and in the cloud
Some of the popular edge systems include Inductive Automation’s IgnitionEDGE, Siemens SIMATIC WinnCC OA, and Siemens SIMATIC WinCC Unified.
Some cloud platforms we have experience with are Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, Siemens MindSphere
Network design and implementation, databases, data lakes

Advanced Data Analytics and Machine Learning

Standardize and contextualize data to uncover patterns and anomalies
Microsoft Power BI
Various Vision AI products

Tracking and Tracing

Lot tracking and lot tracing systems, RFID devices, real-time locating systems
Siemens RTLS and Patti Engineering ProxM8
RFID Systems including Siemens and IFM.

Digital Twins

Digital replicas of manufacturing facilities and factories, processes, and products
Siemens Plant Simulation, Process Simulation, and NX
Fanuc Roboguide and Yaskawa Motosim

Robotics

Traditional industrial and collaborative robots to improve efficiency, quality, and throughput
Fanuc
Yaskawa
Robot Safety Assessments to uncage your robotics.

Learn how digitalization can improve your manufacturing operations and outcomes. Give us a call or contact us and let Patti Engineering get you started on your digital journey.