Plant & Works Engineering February/March 2023

10 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk February/March 2023 Insight D igital technologies are accelerating innovation and efficiency at an unprecedented scale. Improved accessibility and affordability have made it simpler than ever to implement advanced digital systems to improve industrial processes. The growing trend towards digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) has never been more evident. Particularly in recent years, when unique global challenges accelerated digital transformation for businesses worldwide. This transformation has maintained its momentum, with Industry 4.0 strategies continuing become more common. Adapting to the digital climate is key for any business wanting to maintain a competitive edge and to stay relevant in a changing market, and in this new information age, data- driven operations are thriving. According to Deloitte’s 2023 Manufacturing Industry Outlook, there has been a notable increase in investment in digital technologies worldwide. Moreover, the emergence and implementation of new and innovative technologies has accelerated too. This transformation doesn’t just relate to processes at plant level; the report also noted that companies with increased digital maturity showed greater resilience and improved supply chain visibility due to superior agility and adaptability — clear advantages considering the turmoil of recent years In fact, the report suggested the advantages of investing in digitalisation are clear, and the trend looks set to continue, with Deloitte highlighting that 60 per cent of manufacturers now plan to invest in data analytics, and 39 per cent increasing their focus on Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. For an industrial operation, the connection between physical assets and the internet is invaluable. Facilitating communication between machinery and web-based systems allows a more data-driven, informed approach towards manufacturing processes by optimising analysis for more intuitive, self- governed processes. As an example, a factory can have hundreds of individual physical assets, such as motors and drives, running simultaneously. Maintaining a fleet at this scale can be costly, time consuming, and even dangerous depending on operating conditions. In instances like this, traditional reactive or preventive maintenance programmes typically don’t offer the frequency or accuracy that is necessary. In practice, this can lead to undetected failures, unexpected breakdowns, and unplanned downtime. These issues come at a Transforming industry with digital technology PWE spoke to Trenton Roncato Juraszek, mechanical project analyst at the global motor and drive manufacturer WEG to discuss the importance of digitalisation in industry, and how it can help you to remain competitive in an evolving technological landscape.