MEET Bendan 4.0
- Brendan Daniel
- Senior MAXOLUTION® Specialist | Central Canada
- E-mail Brendan
- 905.7911553
- Industry Core Competencies
- Bio
- Articles
Industry Core Competencies
- Automotive
- Motion Control
- Food & Beverage
- Logistics
- Energy
- Industrial
Brendan's Profile:
Engineering the good problems to have.
Ever heard the analogy “that’s a good problem to have” in the business world; this statement usually refers to the challenges associated with increasing supply to meet the growing demand. Brendan explains this euphemism; “What MAXOLUTION® offers its clients is a systematic solution that eliminates the problems they don’t want, and simultaneously creates the production scenarios they do want—which is, of course, to safely and effectively scale their production.”
Many manufacturers believe the answers lie in improving their outfeed goals, but they may lose sight of the importance of a robust infeed process to meet its demand. Brendan’s goal is to position MAXOLUTION® as a company that examines its clients’ process from start to finish—starting from receiving the raw materials right to the shipping docks.
MAXOLUTION® is about maximizing the benefits to its customers from one source. “Introducing smart technology into system design doesn’t mean removing people from the production equation, it’s about the reallocation of its resources. Ultimately, we want to design and build a flexible, safe, and highly productive workflow system that utilizes the strengths of both machines and people.”
Contact Brendan:
articles
Championing Industry 4.0
Industry 4.0, is poised to change the manufacturing world in ways that may be difficult to visualize and comprehend. We continually hear about the benefits of 4.0, but when can we start to see them? The best form of vetting is seeing it in action— first-hand. So yes, visualizing 4.0 is exactly what we are going to do.
We are excited to announce our 4 Million dollar investment into building a live, functioning industry 4.0 laboratory at Humber College’s North Campus. Aside from being a 4.0 visual aid, the lab will act as a research and development hub allowing students the opportunity to explore new technologies that go well beyond 4.0.
Corporations will be invited to the lab and have the opportunity to ask questions and take a first-hand look at relatable system solutions and workflows before making the transition to industry 4.0.
While this Lab is in its infant stages of development, we encourage you to subscribe to our social channels for play-by-play updates and articles about the value of transitioning to Industry 4.0. This Month’s article looks at the indirect cost-effectiveness of a smart factory.
It’s no secret that all businesses need to profit. Most manufacturers are drawn to capital investments that have an immediate impact on its production goals and a better bottom-line. However, industry 4.0 technologies can yield valuable benefits that are not directly related to the amount produced, but instead, in the way which it is produced. Here are some examples;
Improved product quality: Real-time quality control and monitoring ensure no compromise is made on quality. Whenever there are simple decisions to be made, robots will make the decisions using artificial intelligence, big data, cognitive abilities, and the information obtained online. IIot sensors embedded in tools and machines keep track of environmental conditions such as temperature, pressure, and can even sense unwanted contaminents. This type of quality control can assist in identifying defective products and possibly prevent product recalls.
Cost-effectiveness: Predictive maintenance uses smart sensors to alert operators about maintenance issues and possible system faults before they occur. The ability to diagnose manufacturing problems while the system continues to operate is advantageous to operators because detailed system alerts are sent in real-time. This flow of data allows maintenance personnel ample time to source parts and pre-plan the repair while the system continues to run. Predictive Maintenance also eliminates the need to identify and trouble-shoot unplanned maintenance issues.
Increased worker safety: In a fully automated smart factory, robots perform the hazardous, strenuous and repetitive tasks. They will bear the brunt of extreme temperature and pressure, toxic gases, and other potentially hazardous situations. Human workers are never exposed to risky situations. Whenever human workers are required to perform a dangerous task, they can use remote-controlled devices, automated guided vehicles (AGV’s)or augmented reality (AR) technology to perform the task without having to actually be there.
Cost-Saving Benefits of Industry 4.0 to the Manufacturer?
Studies done in the United States, Canada, and other countries have shown Industry 4.0 comes with several cost-savings benefits for companies which directly improves the working conditions of its employees. We have compiled a list of the key cost-savings benefits to the manufacturer.
What are some of the Cost-Saving Benefits of Industry 4.0 to the Manufacturer?
Often called the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Industry 4.0 technologies enable businesses to create smart factories that are more efficient, more productive, more flexible and more responsive to the customers. But, many manufacturers balk at the imaginary costs and complexity of introducing them in their factories. Also, the disinformation campaign by people who are afraid that robots will replace humans has made many workers hostile to them.
Robots can work 24/7
One of the major components of Industry 4.0 are industrial robots. While they are not as smart as humans and do not have the capability to make critical decisions, they can perform high-precision tasks without a glitch and also work 24/7 without a break, which is something that cannot be said about human workers. They also do not get hurt and do not take sick days. This means the factory will be operating nonstop throughout the year. The latest and most advanced robots can make job-specific decisions, which means less human intervention. Thus, using Industry 4.0 can greatly save costs.
Improved product quality
Traditional factories lose a lot of money on returned substandard products. Using Industry 4.0 can reduce or eliminate those costs. Real-time monitoring and quality control allow data to be collected from every point of production. This helps determine and control the conditions that affect the quality of products while production is in process, for example, determining the optimum temperature and pressure levels ensures the best quality and helps eliminate waste. This can help reduce or eliminate defective or substandard products, which means fewer products are returned for failing to meet specifications.
Reduced accidents and injuries
Accidents and injuries cost manufacturers a lot of money every year. Most accidents happen because of negligence, human errors, and defective equipment. In a smart factory, robots do all the dirty and dangerous jobs while humans monitor them from a safe distance. Robots do not get hurt — at least not in the way humans do. Damaged robots do not need to be hospitalized; they can be quickly repaired and put back to work. Severely damaged robots can be replaced with new robots. They need no financial compensation. There will be no costly medical bills and lawsuits. Thus, companies can save a lot of money by using Industry 4.0 technologies.
Reduced operating costs
All manufacturing companies want to reduce operating costs for the simple reason that lower operating costs mean higher profits. Industry 4.0 technologies make that possible without having to lay off workers and implementing any drastic cost-cutting measures. Real-time monitoring and quality control help reduce waste. Waste is a big problem in many traditional factories. Predictive maintenance prevents costly repairs and downtimes. Automation saves labor costs, increases production, and ensures quality. All these combine to reduce operating costs.
Higher competitive advantage
Industry 4.0 technologies provide businesses with a competitive advantage over companies that have not adopted them. Smart factories can operate 24/7. Robots and automation handle all the precision work. Real-time monitoring and quality control ensure higher product quality and reduced errors, and critical decisions are made without wasting time. From receiving orders to shipping products, the entire process is automated, which means a smaller workload, faster fulfillment, and increased customer satisfaction. All these translate into reduced costs.
What are the hottest emerging jobs in Industry 4.0?
Don’t hate the shift to automation. There’s a lot of positives.
Contrary to popular opinion, Industry 4.0 is not taking away jobs from humans. While it is true robots and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) are becoming ubiquitous in factories, they are not there to replace humans. They are there to help humans do their jobs better. Accompanying the Integration of systems and machines into industrial facilities are new and exciting jobs. Here are just a few of the hottest jobs!
Robot coordinator: Robots of varying capabilities are entering the workforce every day and the demand for robot coordinators is growing. The role of a robot coordinator is to oversee the robots in the factory, respond to malfunctions and system errors, and carry out routine and emergency maintenance tasks.
Industrial data scientist: Already a hot job in e-commerce, data scientists are fast making their entry into factories. The role of an industrial data scientist is to extract data, conduct advanced analytics on them, and use the findings to increase production or improve products. He or she must have a good knowledge and understanding of manufacturing processes and IT systems and also have programming skills.
IT solution architect: With the ever-increasing use of IT systems in the factory, the demand for IT solution architects is increasing. The role of an IT solution architect is to oversee the overall system design, which includes mapping the company’s business needs to system and technical requirements, producing technical specifications, and integrating different technologies and platforms.
Industrial computer engineer/programmer: The role an industrial computer engineer/programmer is to bring to life the IT solution designed by the IT solution architect. He or she should be good in programming languages, such C++, Java, and Python. He or she should be able to program robots using languages, such as C++. He or she should also be proficient in applications for industrial simulations, such as Simulink.
Industrial UI/UX designer: User interface (UI) and user experience (UX) designers have been in high demand in the software and gaming industries. Now, industries are also welcoming them with open arms. The role of an industrial UI designer is to design the screens or pages that users interact with, such as that of mobile phones. The role of a UX designer is to create a better user experience, such as a seamless transition from one screen to another
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