Needs Smart factories that make your manufacturing DX a reality

Utilizing data to achieving factory DX

In manufacturing sites' operations, many areas have yet to be digitalized. Digitalizing these areas is the first step to realizing a smart factory. With COVID-19 making face-to-face communication difficult, being able to share information via digital data regardless of time and place has become essential.

Digitalization of manufacturing sites is the basis of smart factories

Today, the DX (digital transformation) wave is upon us in each field of industry. One of the objectives of the manufacturing industry as it aims for "Industry 4.0" (the fourth Industrial Revolution), is smart factories. Through the collection and analysis of a variety of on-site data, smart factories create a more advanced production process.

This is expected to lead to faster decision making in manufacturing plants and the supply chain, as well as the creation of new business. The first step to making this happen is digitalization of the individual operations at manufacturing sites.

COVID-19 has made face-to-face communication difficult

The spread of COVID-19 has significantly impacted manufacturing sites. To cite some examples, the number of people that can enter and work at sites has been limited, which has resulted in a lack of communication because people are not permitted to move freely, and the circulation of paper-based ledgers has increased the risk of infection. These problems call for a framework that helps you to grasp a site's state from a remote location and to instruct and guide the site personnel in an easy to understand manner.

3 concrete issues at manufacturing sites

Issue1

The production line is often stopped. Its operational state has not been visualized.

Our recommended solutions

Issue2

It is not possible to give appropriate instructions to the manufacturing site from a remote location.

Our recommended solutions

Issue3

Paper-based ledgers often have misprints, and they do not facilitate reuse of data.

Our recommended solutions

Issue1

The production line is often stopped. Its operational state has not been visualized.

The skill level of site personnel has not been standardized, and operations are people-dependent. Lines are often stopped as errors go overlooked. The operational state has not been digitalized, which makes it impossible to monitor in real time.

For example:
A local staff member who just joined us was inspecting our facility, but the member overlooked a signal that indicated an error, which led to stoppage of the relevant facility. A long time passed before the problem was discovered, which delayed recovery still further.

Our recommended solutions

Introduce an IoT (Internet of Things) device for manufacturers that automatically and remotely collects information from sensors placed on your production line.
Without the need to station someone locally and have the person check the operational status, the facility will automatically monitor the line's operational status, accumulate data, and activate an alarm if an abnormality is detected, thus realizing efficient operation.

Transforming plant equipment into IoT

Your equipment's operational status is measured not by people but by machines. The information is automatically converted into data that can be checked remotely.

By attaching sensors to your plant equipment and transferring this data via the Internet, you can manage and monitor your plant facilities' data.

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Issue2

It is not possible to give appropriate instructions to the manufacturing site from a remote location.

We want to avoid communicating on the phone with the operations personnel at our manufacturing site because of the risk that their hands may not be free as well as the risk of miscommunication due to language barriers. This calls for a system whereby manufacturing sites can properly receive instructions from a remote location.

For example:
We had trouble at a plant in a country that has banned entry of foreign nationals. We talked to the local personnel to see what was happening, but we could not understand the situation well and could not issue appropriate instructions.

Our recommended solutions

Use smart glasses that enable you to see the local situation in real time.
By combining these with an app that transmits audio and video, you can see what is happening alongside the local personnel without tying up the personnel's hands.

Smart glasses

By visualizing the operational status and transmitting audio and video of the situation at the site, miscommunication and trouble can be prevented.

Lightweight and hands-free, wearable devices do not obstruct operation, thus ensuring safety. Featuring a monocular display and recording feature, it can communicate with software installed on various devices.

Real-time video transmission system

You can display work steps alongside the video to facilitate work at the remote manufacturing site, thus realizing proper instruction.

You can overlay work instructions on the video transmitted from smartphones and smart glasses in order to communicate with your site workers.

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Remote operating system using AR (augmented reality) technology

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Issue3

Paper-based ledgers often have misprints, and they do not facilitate reuse of data.

Paper-based ledgers pose the risks of misprints and losses, and incur the costs of printing and storage. There is also time loss due to circulation, and the risk of infection from face-to-face communication. We want to digitalize our paper-based ledgers as well as use such data for additional purposes.

For example:
A ledger was filled in by a local staff member with poor language skills. It was then misread, which resulted in products being shipped out without checking.

Our recommended solutions

Why not switch to digital ledgers that do not involve manual data entry? Unlike paper-based ledgers, managing ledgers on a tablet incurs no storage or printing costs, thus reducing costs over the long term. This is also more convenient since the data is centralized and easily searched. You can also utilize dropdown menus and checkboxes to minimize the risk of incorrect entry. Digitalization also minimizes the risk of loss.

Digital ledgers

Transfer ledger entry to tablets and other digital devices, thus digitalizing entry. Data can be centrally managed and you can go paperless.

Display and enter the format of the ledger that you were using in print. It will instantly be converted into data, which speeds up the process without any need to create other documents afterward.

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No more working by hand! Paperless record keeping from onsite

IoT

See other challenges

Resolving chronic shortages of human resources at overseas locations

Needs

Faster routine work, so you can focus on your core business

Smart Factory

What is the best solution for your problem?
Please consult a KDDI consultant.

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Smart factories that make your manufacturing DX a reality