Manufacturing Processes: Increasing Output in Less Time

The fourth revolution in manufacturing focuses on using digital technologies to improve production faster and more efficiently.

Manufacturing companies are immersed in the fourth industrial revolution, also known as Industry 4.0, whose central objective is to produce more in less time. How? The focus is on the manufacturing process, both its automation and flexibility, to optimize and adjust production to the scale and needs of consumers.

Industry 4.0 production processes involve diverse manufacturing methods, machinery, tools, and different types of operational software to schedule and make decisions regarding production. This includes adding value through mixing, separation, formation, and chemical reactions in pharmaceutical, food, cosmetics, paint, and chemical manufacturing materials.

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However, automation and process flexibility face various challenges, such as mass customization, increasing demand, frequently changing customer needs, the talent needed to manage the integration of advanced technologies, and collaboration models, to name a few.

One of the technologies that has been rapidly expanding across all manufacturing sectors is the Internet of Things. From its use in automated decision-making solutions, improvements in manufacturing and supply chain processes, to its applications in increasing the safety of operators and workers, these advances have also given rise to what we now know as smart supply chains, which are logistics networks powered by cyber-physical systems capable of linking physical processes with various software, including artificial intelligence or big data, to create configurations, abstractions, simulations, designs, models, analyses, and more.

What are the most commonly used manufacturing processes?

Currently, the manufacturing sector organizes the manufacture of products through any of these processes:

• Shop manufacturing: Different workers are assigned to separate jobs, workshops, or production areas. At different stations, each worker adds value until the final stage. This production process can often include sequences of unique steps and is therefore ideal for customization or custom production.
• Repetitive manufacturing: Refers to the creation of identical or similar products on an assembly line. It is used by mass production industries, such as electronics and automotive, and companies that employ it take constant consumer demand into account. This stability allows it to be a process capable of improving speed and overall efficiency.
• Discrete manufacturing: It is related to repetitive manufacturing because it also uses an assembly or production line. However, it is a more complex process, as it is designed to adapt to frequent changes over time. To meet ever-changing customer demands and technological advances, setups on the assembly or production line must be made regularly.
• Batch process manufacturing: This is typically used to meet consumer demand, as opposed to continuous manufacturing, which can lead to overproduction. This type of production process is commonly used in food and pharmaceutical production.
• Continuous process manufacturing: Uses special raw materials, such as gases, liquids, powders, and granular mining materials, among the most common. It is a widely used process in petroleum refining and fertilizer production.
• 3D printing: Used to build products, often three-dimensional, based on digital models and using a layering method. In today's market, 3D printing is evident in products including medical devices, firearms, and lifestyle items such as shoes and cosmetics.

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Industry 4.0 - IoT and Smart Supply Chain

Internet of Things (IoT) is a very generic concept that encompasses all technologies related to the digital interconnection of everyday objects with the Internet. These digital technologies cover sensors and devices that acquire environmental information and real-time data. They also include communications between devices and cloud platforms or systems and protocols for data exchange, among other possibilities.

IoT has applications in all sectors and areas of process manufacturing. We have previously seen its valuable application in increasing crop quality and reducing environmental impact.

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In this new industrial context, intelligent supply chains or Supply Chain Management 4.0 (SCM 4.0) emerge. These logistics networks are powered by systems capable of connecting physical processes with software to create configurations, abstractions, simulations, designs, models, analyses, and more.

By working together, these mechanisms form distributed and autonomous logistics ecosystems that generate and process information at all times, which precisely allows quality control of all supply chain processes in real time.

In smart supply chains, digital technologies facilitate interactions at every point in the logistics network, making it possible to maintain an active connection between all participants, such as suppliers, customers, investors, regulatory entities, and others. These improvements enable supply chains to scale, even globally, as we saw in a previous post.

Depending on the type of manufacturing, the methods involved throughout the entire process can be considered simple or complex, requiring varying levels of supervision, automation, and quality control. The resources and labor required may also differ to meet the unique needs of traditional manufacturing processes or even advanced manufacturing processes.

Furthermore, computers, robots, and cloud-based technology are responsible for automating the steps involved in the overall system, helping to streamline and make it more efficient in the long term. Continuous improvement in these Industry 4.0 features will help combat risks and promote quality and safety.