A Holistic Methodology to Deploy Industry 4.0 in Manufacturing Enterprises

Doctoral thesis (2022)

In the last decade, the manufacturing industry has seen a shift in the way products are produced due to the integration of digital technologies and existing manufacturing systems. This transformation is ... [more ▼]

In the last decade, the manufacturing industry has seen a shift in the way products are produced due to the integration of digital technologies and existing manufacturing systems. This transformation is often referred to as \textbf{Industry 4.0} (I4.0), which guarantees to deliver cost efficiency, mass customization, operational agility, traceability, and enable service orientation. To realize the potential of I4.0, integration of physical and digital elements using advanced technologies is a prerequisite. Large manufacturing companies have been embracing the I4.0 transformation swiftly. However, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) face challenges in terms of skills and capital requirements required for a smoother digital transformation. The goal of this thesis is to understand the features of a typical manufacturing SME and map them with the existing (e.g. Lean) and I4.0 manufacturing systems. The mapping is then used to develop a Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) to measure the maturity of a manufacturing entity. The SAT developed in this research has a critical SME focus. However, the scope of the SAT is not limited to SMEs and can be used for large companies. The analysis of the maturity of manufacturing companies revealed that the managerial dimensions of the companies are more mature than the technical dimensions. Therefore, this thesis attempts to fill the gap in technical dimensions especially Augmented Reality (AR) and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) through laboratory experiments and industrial validation. A holistic method is proposed to introduce I4.0 technologies in manufacturing enterprises based on maturity assessment, observations, technical road map, and applications. The method proposed in this research includes SAT, which measures the maturity of a manufacturing company in five categorical domains (\textbf{dimensions}): Strategy, Process and Value Stream, Organization, Methods and Tools, and Personnel. Furthermore, these dimensions are attributed to 36 modules, which help manufacturing companies measure their maturity level in terms of lean and I4.0. The SAT is tested in 100 manufacturing enterprises in Grande Région consisting of the pilot study (n=20) and maturity assessment (n=63). The observations from the assessment are then used to set up the technological road map for the research. AR and IIoT are the two technologies that are associated with the least mature modules, which are explored in depth in this thesis. A holistic method is incomplete without industry validation. Therefore, the above-mentioned technologies are applied in two manufacturing companies for further validation of the laboratory results. These applications include 1) the application of AR for maintenance and quality inspection in a tire manufacturing industry, and 2) the application of retrofitting technology for IIoT on a production machine in an SME. With the validated assessment model and the industrial applications, this thesis overall presents a holistic approach to introducing I4.0 technologies in manufacturing enterprises. This is accomplished through identifying the status of the company using maturity assessment and deriving the I4.0 roadmap for high potential modules. The skill gap in the addressed technologies is compensated by designing and testing prototypes in the laboratory before applying them in the industry. [less ▲]

Retrofitting of legacy machines in the context of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)

in Procedia Computer Science (2022, February 08), 200

In the context of Industry 4.0 (I 4.0), one of the most important aspects is data, followed by the capital required to deploy advanced technologies. However, most Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are ... [more ▼]

In the context of Industry 4.0 (I 4.0), one of the most important aspects is data, followed by the capital required to deploy advanced technologies. However, most Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are neither data ready nor have the capital to upgrade their existing machinery. In SMEs, most of the legacy machines do not have data gathering capabilities. In this scenario, the concept of retrofitting the existing machinery with sensors and building an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is more beneficial than upgrading the equipment to newer machinery. The current research paper proposes a simple architecture on retrofitting a legacy machine with external sensors for data collection and feeding the cloud-based databases for analysis/monitoring purposes. The design and functional aspects of the architecture are then tested in a laboratory environment on a drilling machine with no embedded sensors. Data related to the speed of the drill head and the bore depth are collected using newly retrofitted sensors to validate the proposed architecture. [less ▲]

An Innovative Strategy Allowing a Holisitic System Change towards Circular Economy within Supply-Chains

in Energies (2021), 14(14),

: The concept of the circular economy (CE) is receiving encouraging attention among scholars and practitioners, as a convenient solution to move away from the linear economy concept without neglecting the ... [more ▼]

: The concept of the circular economy (CE) is receiving encouraging attention among scholars and practitioners, as a convenient solution to move away from the linear economy concept without neglecting the goals of sustainable development. The main goals of the CE are the closing of resource loops and the keeping of resources in the system for as long as possible at the highest utility level. However, as a result of the lack of internationally accepted definitions of the CE and several unsolved barriers, an excessive and inconsistent number of different CE applications exist. Most fields are mainly focusing on making a linear system circular instead of applying the CE principles in a holistic way. This paper presents a strategy to close the mentioned inconsistency gap, by contrasting currently discussed CE barriers and goals and thereof deriving two areas with a need for action (1. identifying the needed collection, sorting, and recovery infrastructure, and 2. developing circular product design guidelines). The strategy itself consists of connecting these two areas through an improved information exchange between the end-of-life (EOL) and beginning-of-life (BOL) of products. The result is CE design guidelines which are in accordance with the available or needed collection, sorting, and recovery infrastructure. The proposed strategy presents an innovative solution to apply CE principles in a holistic manner, based on EOL-driven product design. [less ▲]

Augmented Reality in Manual Assembly Processes

in Kolla, Sri Sudha Vijay Keshav; Sanchez, Andre; Minoufekr, Meysam (Eds.) et al Augmented Reality in Manual Assembly Processes (2020, September 23)

Augmented Reality (AR) is a novel technology that projects virtual information on the real world environment. With the increased use of Industry 4.0 technologies in manufacturing, AR has gained momentum ... [more ▼]

Augmented Reality (AR) is a novel technology that projects virtual information on the real world environment. With the increased use of Industry 4.0 technologies in manufacturing, AR has gained momentum across various stages of product life cycle. AR can benefit production operators in many manufacturing tasks such as quality inspection, work instructions for manual assembly, maintenance, and in training. This research presents not only a typical architecture of an AR system but also both its software and hardware functions. The architecture is then applied to display virtual assembly instructions in the form of 3D animations on to the real world environment. The chosen assembly task in this research is to assemble a planetary gearbox system. The assembly instructions are displayed on a mobile device targeting a static tracker placed in the assembly environment. [less ▲]