Over the last 25 years, we have watched automation technology evolve and deliver new possibilities to the assembly, inspection, and testing of medical devices. From force testing surgical devices to inspecting trocars for microscopic defects to loading drug delivery systems, automation helps complete intricate processes with repeatable results. Yet, according to many manufacturing trends, the medical device industry is slower to truly embrace automation than other fields. While most medical device manufacturers understand the benefits of shifting from manual processes to incorporate automation, there is confusion and hesitation in the industry when it comes to leveraging it effectively. The disconnect? Misconceptions about what automation is, and what it can or cannot do. So, our partner Invotec surveyed their customers—manufacturers of non-invasive surgical devices, cardiovascular technology, drug delivery systems, and bioMEMs—to learn what initially concerned them about automation, and how they overcame those challenges. To hear what they had to say, check out this exclusive e-book:
Read More →Workforce Management Manufacturing: Interview with SchedulePro
Sachin Agrawal is the CEO of SchedulePro, a leading workforce management solution provider for the manufacturing, petroleum and corrections industries, whose customers include Procter & Gamble, a Big 3 auto manufacturer and Shell Oil. As an expert on workforce efficiency and labor cost reduction, Sachin has a track record of significantly increasing productivity and reducing costs for Fortune 500 companies. Prior to SchedulePro, Sachin was a product leader at Microsoft where he developed enterprise-scale products for Windows, MSN and Windows Server. Prior to the American Manufacturing Summit, we spoke with SchedulePro to discuss workforce management in the manufacturing industry. This is an excerpt from the interview with SchedulePro: “Why should manufacturers choose automated employee scheduling over manual scheduling? Increased productivity and the ability to quickly improve their bottom line are two of SchedulePro’s most significant benefits for manufacturers looking to reduce labor costs and improve employee working conditions. An automated solution will also produce staff schedules that are more compliant than manual scheduling solutions, helping manufacturers avoid issues with regulatory and union bodies.”
Read More →Disrupt or Be Disrupted: Navigating your IoT Digital Transformation Journey to Mitigate Risk and Deliver ROI
In a world of connectivity, the future of industrial automation is now. Over the last 20 years, automation in manufacturing has transformed factory floors and opened up a new era in manufacturing – one in which humans and machines increasingly work side by side. Between 2018 and 2020, the number of connected devices in the manufacturing industry will double, market analysts say, disrupting every part of the production process from development to supply chain management. Prior to the American Manufacturing Summit, we spoke with Shoplogix to discuss this disruption, the effects of automation on manufacturing, and the future of the industry. In this eBook, we explore how industrial automation is changing the manufacturing landscape; what manufacturers need to do to unlock the value of data from the production floor all the way up to the C-Suite; how organizations can leverage IoT to create a more efficient manufacturing process; and the benefits of implementing a performance management solution. Industrial automation is changing the manufacturing landscape with digital leading the road to transformation. Industrial automation takes investment. Starting down the path of digital transformation can help manufacturers justify capital investment by identifying the amount of lost production and the potential capacity increases they need to justify the automation projects they so desperately want to deliver. Having an IoT Smart Factory platform can help justify these projects and ensure they are acquired for. Click through to access the full e-Book here.
Read More →Operational Machine Learning Use Cases
Falkonry is a leading provider of operational machine learning for industrial companies who are looking to achieve significant improvements in the throughput, quality and yield of their operations. Their ready-to-use machine learning system, Falkonry LRS, enables operations teams to discover patterns hidden in their existing operations data. It also helps apply predictive analytics and receive actionable insights, all without requiring data scientists.
Read More →Benchmarks and Best Practices for Next-Generation QMS
In a recent study conducted for Pilgrim, quality and compliance professionals from the top 2,000 Pharmaceutical, BioTech, Medical Device, and Combination Product companies were surveyed on the “state of the state” of the business, regulatory, and technology landscape of their current quality management systems (QMS). This research provides fresh insights into the state of quality and compliance management in the Life Sciences industry, as well as quantitative data which demonstrates that many Life Sciences companies are preparing for or embracing Next-Generation Quality Management practices.
Read More →4 Essential Ingredients that Go Into Successful IoT Asset Tracking and Workflow Optimization Solutions
Do any of the following statements describe your situation? I don’t have a way to efficiently orchestrate our complex workflows of materials, tools, and people I can’t track the location or condition of my assets, or prevent them from getting lost or stolen I have no idea how to leverage our partner relationships and tie into their inventory systems I don’t have a good way of keeping my operational costs in check Many enterprises have implemented IoT solutions simply for technology’s sake and, after the novelty wore off, operators were left with yet one more system to learn, maintain, and pay off. Many of these solutions added unnecessary operational complexity that forced enterprises to shift focus from their core competencies. Choose an IoT tracking and workflow optimization solution that incorporates the following 4 essential ingredients: Robust and battle-tested tech; True cross-boundary asset and workflow management; Industry-centricity engineered into the solution; A goal-driven approach. Read more, via Cloudleaf: http://bit.ly/2p8xDDi
Read More →Top 3 Ways IIoT Enables Business Outcomes in Manufacturing
According to IoT solutions company relayr, the manufacturing industry, as a whole, is the least digitally advanced industry today. It is also the industry with the most to gain from the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). With shrinking margins and increasing pressure to deliver better, faster, and cheaper, manufacturers are looking for ways to improve efficiencies, reduce costs, and open up new revenue streams, none of which can be accomplished without embracing the IIoT. The key areas in which the IIoT is poised to help manufacturers achieve their target business outcomes are: Asset Services – the continual monitoring and analysis of production line and/or supply chain data points that are most influential to a manufacturing enterprise. This data can be used to trigger automated responses in the machines, alert employees, track production and inventory in real time, and even enable custom product manufacturing Predictive Maintenance – the ability to conduct “just in time” maintenance, drastically reducing costs related to unplanned downtime as well as unnecessary preventative maintenance visits for healthy equipment. Through advanced analytics and anomaly detection, predictive maintenance capabilities only grow smarter over time through AI capabilities, to continually refine and improve manufacturers’ maintenance performance. Device Management – the functionality delivered by the ability to connect, retrieve data, and take action at the device (equipment) level. This interoperability is only achievable through a solid foundation of an IIoT middleware platform, connected hardware, and a solid device management software component. …
Read More →The Adaptive Machine: Cultivating a ‘green patch’ in your brownfield
Despite the well-documented advantages of digital transformation and smart factories, it can be overwhelming to know where to begin. Cultivating a green patch in your brownfield can be a good way to start. A green patch is bigger than a pilot project, because it is a full-scale production system, but it is a small investment than a greenfield. Typically, the project scope would be one line or cell. We talked with John Kowal, Director of Business Development at B&R Industrial Automation, a global supplier of advanced machine control solutions, about adaptive machines and how to cultivate a green patch within a brown field.
Read More →IoT Enables Predictive Maintenance
Over the past ten years or so there have been many smart manufacturing initiatives that have promoted the need for production facilities to become much more efficient and effective through the use of technology. The concept of the connected factory, achieved through the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), is being implemented, which is significantly driving up operational effectiveness, resource utilization and a digital visibility of production and process metrics never before thought possible.
Read More →How Robotics Will Drive the American Manufacturing Renaissance: An Interview with Jay Douglass, COO, The Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute
Jay Douglass is COO of The Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute. ARM’s mission is to secure our national interests home and abroad by asserting U.S. leadership in advanced manufacturing, democratizing advanced manufacturing and creating and sustaining valuable, new jobs. Previously Jay worked at the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. His focus was on developing business opportunities for technology development and technology transfer with commercial organizations. He most recently managed the SEI’s business in Europe. Jay has worked with a wide variety of software development and quality technologies. We are thrilled to have Jay join us at the American Manufacturing Summit. In addition to being Chair of our Process Strategy Stream, Jay will host a Lunch and Learn on “Fostering the Growth of National Manufacturing through Novel Robotic Technologies,” and participate in a panel discussing “The Next 10 Years, 3.4 Million Jobs Available: Avoid the Skills Shortage and Attract Top Talent.” “ARM believes that the United States is in the early states of a significant manufacturing renaissance. Our nation’s ability to leverage new technologies, such as robotics, combined with the desire to provide a better quality of life for all Americans, is driving this renaissance.”
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