How companies can also digitally connect manual workstations
Screwdrivers, cameras, collaborative robots: In factories, it is a particular challenge to digitally connect manual workstations with various components in addition to a wide variety of machines. Experts from SAP and FORCAM-ENISCO demonstrate what such a solution looks like at SAP’s “Industry 4.0 Pop-Up Factory” in Walldorf.
“Our Industry 4.0 Pop-Up Factory makes it possible to experience digital manufacturing live in practice and experience the added value of SAP solutions in a realistic store floor environment,” explains SAP Manager Matthias Deindl. “Complete production lines for both discrete manufacturing and the process industry are set up in our ‘hands-on factory’. They can be visited by interested groups.”
The showcase together with FORCAM ENISCO in the pop-up factory demonstrates the assembly of an electronic module at a manual workstation. The aim is to provide the worker with digital support so that they can visually check on the screen in the SAP Digital Manufacturing (SAP DM) system whether each assembly is correctly fitted.
Signals from three components for SAP Digital Manufacturing – networked via FORCE EDGE CONNECT
The setting: A person operates a precision electric screwdriver from Atlas Copco. The required components are handed over by a collaborative robot, a cobot. A camera is installed on the cobot.
The screwdriver, robot and camera are digitally networked by the solution, which “I wrote a plug-in for the screwdriver,” explains our colleague Kaan Adamey. “The cobot and camera are networked via the UPC UA interface integrated in FORCE EDGE CONNECT.” FORCE EDGE CONNECT then delivers the data in a harmonized form to SAP Digital Manufacturing for visual inspection.
Both SAP and FORCAM ENISCO regularly organize demo and networking days at the SAP Pop-Up Factory. Motto: “Industry 4.0: experience the future of manufacturing live”. The program focuses on successful digitalization strategies in production and a tour of the pop-up factory. Experts from both companies will be available for discussions on site or by appointment.
SAP News – Industry 4.0 Pop-up Factory
Exploiting the benefits of the smart factory
“The need for companies to organize their production digitally in order to secure locations and jobs has never been greater,” says our Managing Director Oliver Hoffmann. “To achieve this, both heterogeneous machines and manual workstations must be digitally connected. This is the only way to take full advantage of the smart factory.”
In particular, the major topic of sustainability in industry – once again included in the motto of this year’s Hannover Messe from 22 to 26 April (“Energizing a Sustainable Industry”) – starts with connectivity in the factory. Oliver Hoffmann: “The master key to climate-friendly production is connectivity for every single factory machine, old and new.”
The aim is to convert signals from a wide variety of sources into a standardized data model and thus enable the digital twin of production. “In advanced ERP or MES systems such as SAP and SAP Digital Manufacturing (SAP DM), it is only with smart data from production that real-time analyses can be carried out, for example for energy and resource efficiency.”
Next-generation connectivity
Speed is a key success factor here. Managing Director Werner Gruber: “A short implementation phase enables quick results. This means considerable added value for companies with international factory networks: they get a quick return on investment through measurably more efficient production.”
At HANNOVER MESSE, the FORCAM ENISCO team will be showcasing next-generation connectivity: a solution that provides a flexible and robust foundation for growing industrial use cases and delivers highly available and secure data streams.
You will find us at HANNOVER MESSE 2024 as a partner of SAP in Hall 15, Stand E17.
Speed is a key success factor here. Managing Director Werner Gruber: “A short implementation phase enables fast results. This means considerable added value for companies with international factory networks: they receive a rapid return on investment through measurably more efficient production.”
At HANNOVER MESSE, the FORCAM ENISCO team will be showcasing next-generation connectivity: a solution that provides a flexible and robust foundation for growing industrial use cases and delivers highly available and secure data streams.
