What does Microsoft think of as “intelligent manufacturing”?

As digital transformation progresses across all industries, Microsoft provides related solutions for the manufacturing industry under the concept of ” Intelligent Manufacturing .” How will the manufacturing industry change by utilizing digital technologies such as AI and IoT ?

Microsoft’s idea of ​​intelligent manufacturing: Intelligent Manufacturing

Advances in technology such as big data, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing , and IoT are transforming the manufacturing industry from its traditional business model.

In addition, factors such as labor shortages and the entry of services from other industries have combined to create a need for further digital transformation. Against this backdrop, Microsoft, which provides IT solutions for businesses, is proposing a concept called ” Intelligent Manufacturing .”

What is Intelligent Manufacturing?

Intelligent Manufacturing is a concept that aims to support business transformation through the use of digital technology in the manufacturing industry, and is a collective term for multiple solutions that are expected to bring about business transformation. Through this, we aim to differentiate our products and services.

Intelligent Manufacturing consists of scenarios such as “Connected Service (Product as a Service),” “Factory of the Future,” and “Intelligent Supply Chain.”

What impact will Intelligent Manufacturing have on the manufacturing industry?

So, what kind of impact will Intelligent Manufacturing have on the manufacturing industry?

connected field service

Connected field service is a service that connects devices to the Internet to form a network. It is sometimes expressed using the term Industry 4.0 .

For example, by installing sensors in equipment and making it IoT-enabled, equipment manufacturers will be able to remotely perform field services such as maintenance, repair, inspection, and delivery. Since it is possible to remotely check various problems that could only be grasped by on-site personnel in the past, it is possible to discover and respond to solutions more quickly.

For those in charge of maintaining equipment, the burden on those responsible for maintaining the equipment is reduced compared to the past, as they can perform some tasks remotely without having to go to the site. In addition, until now, the only information available was information that was conveyed to us by the on-site personnel as primary information, but by being able to check the data acquired by the equipment, we can obtain more information and shorten the time it takes to solve problems. You can expect it.

Once this cycle works effectively, you will be able to be more proactively involved in business, such as performing equipment maintenance before breakdowns occur and proposing measures to increase operating rates. Become. In other words, we will transform from our traditional position of providing maintenance support to a position that goes one step further and supports our client companies in increasing their profits.

Connected sales and service

Connected sales and service refers to providing better services and customer experiences by digitally linking multiple systems and services.

For example, when a customer requests a quote via a website, if your CRM (customer relationship management) system and core business system are linked, you can find out their past purchasing history and make a better proposal to the other party. can. In addition, by deriving common customer purchasing patterns from big data analysis, it is possible to make proposals to induce upsells and cross-sells.

In this way, by linking systems and services using digital data, customer satisfaction and contribution can be improved.

factory of the future

The factory of the future is a factory that advances automation, labor savings, and efficiency by connecting people, equipment (devices), and processes. By utilizing technologies such as industrial IoT and AI, machines can take over processes that were previously performed by humans. This increases factory productivity and solves problems such as labor shortages.

For example, machine learning can be used to learn the normal state of a product to automate inspections that were previously performed visually by humans, and AR (augmented reality) and MR (mixed reality) technologies can be used to conduct digital inspections through smart glasses . You can make your work more efficient by overlapping information. In addition, cameras in the factory can be used to photograph the process, analyze the situation in real time, instantly detect human errors, and display machine productivity and operating rates.

Komatsu Manufacturing Co., Ltd., a construction machinery manufacturer, is implementing a production reform called KOM-MI CS to visualize and improve production sites . This collects and analyzes data from machine tools and robots to visualize factory operating conditions and support on-site improvements. Started in 2009, as of 2019, approximately 700 machine tools and 350 welding robots have been connected. Many improvements have been made to visualization of production status.

intelligent supply chain

A supply chain is a series of manufacturing processes from the time a product’s materials are produced until it reaches the user. An intelligent supply chain is a system that optimizes this by making it more sophisticated using AI and other techniques.

For example, AI can be used to predict product demand and ship the appropriate amount. In addition, by predicting and managing the amount of inventory needed, you can reduce wasted storage space in your warehouse and reduce waste. This allows us to produce the right amount of product, provide it at the right time, and sell it at the right price.

It is also used in food safety initiatives. BUHLER, a Swiss food company, collects and accumulates safety data published by agricultural manufacturers, harvest reports from food producers, and manufacturing data for all lots from food and raw material manufacturers to provide information to consumers. We provide safety information as a blockchain-based traceability service. This allows consumers to know the safety of their food at any time. Furthermore, the data can be used by each company in the supply chain, helping to add value and improve logistics efficiency.

Connected product innovation

Connected product innovation means accelerating innovation by creating new business models by leveraging data and knowledge gained through networking devices and digital transformation.

You can create new value by performing digital transformation by combining data from IoT, AI, big data, etc. with your own customer information and product data.

Sandvik Coromant, which manufactures and develops carbide tools for the metalworking industry, uses Coroplus as a platform to improve machining processes by collecting and analyzing equipment data. By analyzing collected data such as heat, vibration, and mounting axis angle, and utilizing our own processing know-how, we are able to provide appropriate feedback, reduce unnecessary data, and improve the overall processing process. In addition, being able to remotely monitor what is happening on-site has made efficient management possible.

summary

As digital transformation becomes essential to the survival of companies, similar initiatives are required in the manufacturing industry as well.

“Intelligent Manufacturing” is one direction that the manufacturing industry should aim for. Let’s aim to create new value by leveraging digital technology to automate and streamline processes such as factories and sales.