Industry 4.0 is not an option anymore
The A.I. project
Our vision on 4.0 world
Industry 4.0 and all it entails has become an increasingly integral part of the mechanisms underpinning the functioning of companies. To discuss this topic, we need to talk about investments, productivity and innovation: in practical terms, about a digitalisation process that revolves around factories themselves, or rather - to use perhaps the best definition currently available of Industry 4.0 - about the “application of digitalisation to manufacturing”. However you define it, 4.0 is a revolution we cannot avoid and, in spite of its seemingly abstract nature, it is having increasingly practical repercussions on companies’ production processes.
We came up with the A.l. project to illustrate our vision of Industry 4.0. The project can be represented on three levels, divided into an imaginary pyramid.
The A.I. project
Our vision on 4.0 world
Industry 4.0 and all it entails has become an increasingly integral part of the mechanisms underpinning the functioning of companies. To discuss this topic, we need to talk about investments, productivity and innovation: in practical terms, about a digitalisation process that revolves around factories themselves, or rather - to use perhaps the best definition currently available of Industry 4.0 - about the “application of digitalisation to manufacturing”. However you define it, 4.0 is a revolution we cannot avoid and, in spite of its seemingly abstract nature, it is having increasingly practical repercussions on companies’ production processes.
We came up with the A.l. project to illustrate our vision of Industry 4.0. The project can be represented on three levels, divided into an imaginary pyramid.
The production line is at the first level. Since the A.I. project was launched, lines are now designed to combine industrial skills with digitisation techniques and Artificial Intelligence algorithms.
The mechanics, robotics and sensors use SCADA systems and line management technologies to track a huge amount of operational data and quality parameters of the machine.
At the top level of the pyramid, specific software and technologies extract the data processed from the work environment and convert it into valuable information which is optimised for business intelligence strategies.
The future challenges of Industry 4.0
Simultaneous management of these three levels will allow our machines to switch from semi-closed systems to totally open eco-systems which provide data outputs (e.g. production data) and also receive data inputs (e.g. production orders). Thanks to the OPC-UA protocol and the interconnection of technologies, complete communication is possible not only within the plant – between the actual machines and the management systems, such as ERP and MES – but also between the machines and bodies outside the company (like those which dispatch the serialised codes to be used). This favours better connectivity, management of systems and interoperability at all levels, which are essential for managing industrial assets and their performance.
Lastly, remote assistance is another transversal aspect that cannot be overlooked: thanks to the use of new software technologies, like those employed in augmented reality visors, we can provide customers with assistance that is even more effective but also less expensive, allowing the operator to “see” the machine anywhere in the world and provide targeted assistance without the need to be physically present on site.
The combined use of all this information and all these technologies will open up an endless world of opportunities, transforming your factory into an A.I. Factory: a totally interconnected environment where self-learning machines, their component devices, people and management systems all interact to create innovative and highly efficient products, services and workplaces. Discovering this world – and managing its complex implications – is the real challenge facing the manufacturing industry today.
Get ahead with intelligent machines equipped with integrated Industry 4.0 software package
Our machines are fully compliant to pharma regulations and data integrity criteria
Easy connectivity thanks to IOT network and OPC-UA protocol
Data analytics applications are ready to be implemented thanks to real time data streaming processing
We provide complete solutions vertically integrated with SCADA and Line Management systems
Advanced robotics carry out multiple tasks combining top performance, maximum flexibility and easy configuration
Increased automation, productivity and flexibility on small lot of production
Competitive advantages and data-driven insights are achieved thanks to KPI and OEE indicators
Predictive maintenance, augmented reality and A.I. algorithms provide the customer with innovative solutions
We offer protection of investment with an open platform ready for future expansion
FOCUS: the three levels of the A.I. project
Building on the experience of the “4.0-ready” Integra 320 line, presented during an Open Factory event, since 2019 all our machines and lines have been designed according to the concepts of IoT: they are no longer just “objects” but intelligent, connected assets that make businesses interactive and their management systems proactive, supporting Data Analytics and Business Intelligence platforms.
They are not complicated to use. Just think of a next-generation smartphone, for example. There is plenty of complexity, but it is hidden: the HMI – the “layer” that separates the operator from the heart of the machine – is already presented as an ergonomic monitor, not much bigger than a tablet, which provides access control, full reporting and statistics on production batches. In the future, it will become even more intuitive and compact.
Another important aspect linked to production is that of additive manufacturing. Today, we have a dedicated department with 3D printers working 24 hours a day to make prototypes and specific production parts, each the result of a different engineering design. The goal is to make all the design planning and innovation activities faster compared to previous standards, by-passing the printing of projects on paper and automatically identifying the best production strategies. This allows us to reduce the times and costs required to make the parts, while simultaneously monitoring production planning, machine wear and tear and error management.
Robotics also plays a key role in this process. The robotic arms developed in-house by Marchesini allow us to speed up production, thanks to their ability to efficiently manage the primary transfer phase upstream (e.g. inserting the pills into the blisters) and the secondary transfer phase downstream (putting the blisters into cartons). Our patented robots are specifically designed for packaging and are an integral part of the machines. They can adapt independently to the various sizes, weights and shapes of products to be packaged.
This first level also includes the use of cameras, which are integrated into the next-generation machines, ensuring utmost flexibility in management of the various products and materials to be packaged. On our solutions, these cameras are usually used within serialisation systems, which unequivocally code every single package so that it can be recognised, tracked and identified. Lastly, thanks to cutting-edge Cyber Security, we protect our IT systems by using encrypted channels for sensitive information and anti-intrusion software.
The SCADA systems provide valuable operator feedback through a full check-up of the machine’s mechanical and functional status at any time and in any place, be it physical or remote. Thanks to constant tracking of the machine’s vital parameters, the SCADA system offer a wide array of functions, such as identifying and correcting any plant-related problems, identifying inefficiencies linked to operators or enabling the different complex systems and machinery to communicate with each other, detecting the status of the various devices and components at any time.
Good use of SCADA thus allows a reduction in machine monitoring costs, thanks to real-time access to all the information related to the industrial processes, from the simplest (e.g. the status of vision systems, pressure and temperature values) to the most sophisticated. Vertical integration of the production lines with both the SCADA and Line Management systems ultimately brings about an overall improvement of productivity, quality and flexibility indicators. This improvement depends less and less on human actions and more on automation and the interconnection of systems.
The third level of the AI Program entails Marchesini’s stand-alone machines and complete lines set up with the native advanced and modular software suite - yudoo - which exploits real-time data transmission on OPC-UA protocol.
Created by the Group’s partner, SEA Vision, yudoo incorporates various functions split up into packets that customers can select individually; depending on the information required, it provides complete information on the status, diagnostics, production meters and on overall performance.
Yudoo helps customers to extract and elaborate a huge number of data that in the past were hidden within the production environment: they can be selected, interpreted and converted into information; this information will then be used in various environments, for example to improve the quality of the productive process by correcting in advance or finding the causes for drops in production and eliminate unscheduled idle times, by anticipating routine maintenance operations. Yudoo is configured as a user-friendly framework to improve the user experience on the line and offer a strategic tool for corporate Business Intelligence.
