In the context of the general situation, Omron Europe explains the six most important trends that will influence industrial automation in 2024 and beyond.
The current developments surrounding the shortage of skilled workers, the war in Ukraine and the Middle East conflict increase the risk of further political and economic challenges. At the same time, there is growing pressure to take environmental, sustainability and social aspects (environmental, social, governance, ESG) even more into account when making operational decisions. Industrial companies are responding by making their business models more resilient and flexible and rethinking their global supply chains and partnerships. After all, resilience and flexibility are the key to success in these times. AI, data science, digital twins, sensor, control and vision technologies play a central role in the development of automation and control solutions that support the manufacturing industry.
Trend 1: Local production for local requirements
The sometimes dramatic supply bottlenecks of the recent past have shown how fragile international supply chains are. Many manufacturers are now questioning their long, complex supply chains and outsourced production. Companies are increasingly relying on local production to hedge against future risks and reduce the distance to the customer. Manufacturers want to implement this change in strategy with the support of their automation partners. They want adaptable, universal solutions that can be used in different regions. Standardized production is also very popular, so that customers always receive the same product regardless of where it is manufactured. This requires a high level of investment in innovation, a joint, cross-border design and development concept and a strong network of system integrators.
Trend 2: Customer experience is becoming increasingly important
Supply crises have also meant that product and price play less of a role in purchasing decisions today and proximity and experience are becoming increasingly important. This is changing the way manufacturers interact with their automation partners. They no longer want to buy a 'system', but a 'solution', and service and support carry more weight than ever before. Instead of focusing on a product-oriented business model, companies should develop a solution-oriented approach that focuses on the customer experience. Manufacturers need to understand how their problems can be solved in order to invest.
Trend 3: Combining OT and IT to optimize the cost of flexible manufacturing
The shift to flexible manufacturing is gaining momentum, allowing manufacturers to adapt quickly when needed. High-mix-low-volume (HMLV) manufacturing has reached a new level. Flexible workflows that can seamlessly switch between different products characterize localized production. The biggest challenge with flexible manufacturing is making it financially viable. Combining operational technology (OT) with information technology (IT) is the key to optimizing manufacturing costs. Using a digital twin approach, companies can redesign their production and test changes in a virtual environment. This not only shortens development time, but also reduces risks and optimizes project costs.
Trend 4: Data analysis as the basis for sustainability-focused decisions
In addition to using virtual reality to optimize costs, manufacturers will increasingly rely on monitoring and controlling machines in the real world in order to make flexible, localized production processes more efficient and sustainable. Companies in all industries want to reduce raw material and energy consumption and are looking to their automation providers for answers. In the manufacturing environment, data collection and analysis combined with powerful control systems can lead to improvements.
Trend 5: Increased safety efforts drive automated inspection
Fernando Colás, CEO of Omron Industrial Automation EuropeAnotherchallenge that comes with flexible manufacturing is compliance with safety and quality standards. After all, the more variables there are in the production mix, the greater the potential for errors and problems. As companies are increasingly subject to public scrutiny and reputations can be destroyed in the blink of an eye, companies are taking the issue of safety more seriously than ever. This is driving the development of automated, AI-powered inspection systems that ensure the safety, integrity and quality of every single product - even at batch size one.
Trend 6: 'AI at the edge' and beyond
In everyday life, the omnipotence of artificial intelligence may be perceived as a threat, but in the field of industrial automation, it represents a huge and still largely untapped opportunity to continuously improve system performance. For example, AI in robotics, control systems and image processing systems helps to identify very small defects in reflective surfaces or detect jams in packaging machines. AI also has the potential to improve connectivity between manufacturing systems and uncover insights and patterns that are not obvious to humans. This can further increase productivity.
Fernando Colás, CEO at Omron Industrial Automation Europe, adds: "In the coming years, the transition to a new paradigm of fully flexible manufacturing will dominate and determine the direction of automation developments. This will enable companies to address current and future supply chain challenges while meeting customer requirements. In parallel, we will see the development of more autonomous manufacturing that prioritizes quality, safety and sustainability."
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