Industry 4.0

For some manufacturers in Australasia, Industry 4.0 has become a large part of their strategies for growth and increasing operational efficiencies throughout the business, from how big data is handled to how automation is leveraged for machine-to-machine communication.  As this is equally as important to both Hawker Richardson and all of our partners, we have created this blog page which will be updated regularly to list our key partners, and how some of their solutions are driving Industry 4.0.

Hawker Richardson and Industry 4.0

Hawker Richardson recognises and supports customers requiring operational excellence which drives the ideals of Industry 4.0. With regular training, we ensure our engineers are here to support both our customers and the latest technology which operates, controls and analyses the automation required to support Industry 4.0. We are not only are a key part in deploying the latest technological innovations to our customers in Australasia, but we also enable our partners to adopt a continual improvement ethos with feedback of situational analysis in industry. Other examples of supporting customers to accommodate Industry 4.0. operational environments include:

• Utilising IoT for Commissioning Systems – remote commissioning is now possible with digital advances. Our engineers pride themselves on delivering the best service in SMT Australia. Commissioning systems remotely not only empowers our customer’s engineers, but most importantly minimises downtime.

• Smart Factory Learning – recognising the importance of software in the Smart Factory, Hawker Richardson is developing a Training Portal where customers can log-in and see step-by-step video tuition. This is particularly important for some of the software driving M2M (see under Yamaha below) as well as programming and M-Tool configuration.

Yamaha and Industry 4.0

Yamaha have made significant investments in the last couple of years to develop both hardware and software to accommodate the requirements of Industry 4.0.

• Machine-to-machine (M2M) Communication Example One – has been developed to ensure Yamaha machines communicate, whether it’s a printer, mounter, AOI or SPI system. For example, an SPI system can inspect the work of the printer and stop the progress of the board if any errors are present after printing. Similarly, the AOI can inspect for defects after the board has run through the mounter, stopping the board from progressing to the reflow stage. All of this minimises waste and rework and optimises both quality and consistency / repeatability.

• Machine-to-machine (M2M) Communication Example Two – SMT machines such as the mounter requiring components and fed by storage solutions can utilise an opensource software to communicate with the ERP system, so that component stock control can be monitored, updated and ordered in real-time, minimising any delay in board manufacture with smart factory functionality.

• Big Data Example One – constant analytics allow Yamaha to predict maintenance of their machines by continually capturing performance data. This proactive approach enables engineers to see when machines are likely to require maintenance and can prepare, ensuring optimal productivity can continue.

• Big Data Example Two – in addition to predictive maintenance, the Yamaha systems have been designed so the supportive software (M-Tool) can display line and factory status via a web-based interface providing detailed information including efficiency, operating ratios and pickup rates available to supervisors in real-time and, in some instances, decentralised decisions.

Essemtec and Industry 4.0

Essemtec’s sophisticated software and hardware interface generates extensive material management for communication between all their production equipment, including pick and place equipment, high speed and micro dispensing and component material storage.

• Automatic warehouse management system – storage solutions such as Essemtec’s Cubus allows for all components and reels to be stored and processed in their desired positions. Available traceability data is readily available in real time.

• Risk management – Essemtec’s pick and place systems shoot an image via the digital camera directly in front of the component pick-up, during the measurement of the components and after the placement end. This data is supplied with the corresponding trace data. Thus, making it possible to check retrospectively how the component was positioned in the belt, how the position was during measurement and how the component was finally positioned on the pads. Hereby helping detect and eliminate defects during production avoiding costly product recalls.

Nutek and Industry 4.0

Nutek integrates Hermes Standard, a protocol to advance Industry 4.0 in electronics manufacturing.

• Advanced M2M communication for board flow management in SMT assembly lines – Hermes Standard (IPC-HERMES-9852) provides the state of the art for board flow management along mixed vendor lines in SMT assembly. It is officially recognised as the next generation technology setting forth from the IPC-SMEMA-9851 standard. Where SMEMA in the late 1990s was a first important step towards board handover between machines in an SMT assembly line, the Hermes Standard introduces the full capabilities of Industry 4.0 technologies to the assembly line.

Vision Engineering and Industry 4.0

Vision Engineering is leading the way in the Industry 4.0 innovation with its full HD 3D digital stereo deep reality viewing (DRV) equipment.

• Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices example one – The CONTOUR which has been developed for geographic information system (GIS) professionals and can be networked with other CONTOUR devices world-wide. The sharing and exchange of data in real-time can improve productivity and insights through collaboration.

• Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices example two – Compatible with stereo supporting GIS software packages the CONTOUR can be used in a wide range of applications and industries including photogrammetry, urban planning, utility/telecom asset management, GIS data interpretation. Multiple units can be linked to allow supervisors to oversea activity in 2D or 3D without interference in production activities.