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Machine connectivity represents one of the most powerful levers for improving manufacturing plant performance today. Yet, many companies delay embarking on this transformation, held back by deeply rooted misconceptions. In this article, we analyze four beliefs that prevent manufacturers from leveraging the power of industrial machine connectivity and real-time production data, and why these mental barriers are actually unfounded. Whether you're an SME with aging equipment or a company specializing in one-off production, you'll discover why machine connectivity is more accessible and relevant than you might think.
You've probably heard this objection before: "Machine connectivity is great for others, but our situation is different. We manufacture unique parts, never the same one twice. So measuring time per part doesn't make sense since we won't reproduce that reference again."
This belief is not only false, but it deprives you of a major optimization lever. In reality, the majority of manufacturing companies work in one-off production or small batches, and they perfectly succeed in their digital transformation.
What needs to be understood is that in a machine connectivity project, it's not the performance of the part or order that we measure, but the performance of the machine itself. The fundamental question remains the same, regardless of your production mode: a factory makes money when its machines are producing, and loses money when they are idle.
OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) allows for measuring three crucial dimensions:
Whether you produce a unique part or a series of a thousand identical pieces, the goal remains to maximize the operating time of your equipment. A machine that remains idle is an untapped resource, regardless of production volume. Machine tool data collection allows you to precisely identify where your productivity losses are.
Contrary to popular belief, companies that operate with cells, individual machines, and manual tasks often derive the greatest benefit from machine connectivity. Precisely because their equipment is frequently idle, they have considerable improvement potential.
The collected data allows for precisely identifying the causes of non-productivity: waiting for materials, lengthy setups, repetitive micro-stops... All problems that, once visible, can be methodically eliminated.
In one-off production, machine connectivity reveals its true value by allowing optimization of cross-cutting processes rather than individual references. For example, by analyzing your OEE in real time over several months, you might discover that 30% of time is lost in setups between each part. This valuable information directs you toward solutions such as standardizing machining setups or optimizing programs.
Similarly, connectivity can reveal that certain families of parts, though different, share common characteristics in their production behavior. These patterns, invisible without structured data, can lead to substantial improvements in overall efficiency, even in a highly customized production context.
"Our equipment is over twenty years old, it's not compatible with Industry 4.0." This is another frequent objection.
A machine's age barely impacts its ability to be connected. As we like to say at Intelligence Industrielle: "If your machine has electricity, we are able to connect it."
There are several approaches to collecting machine data:
You might wonder how a machine from the 1980s can integrate into your industrial digital transformation. The answer is simple: any electrical machine generates signals that can be interpreted. The controller that indicates whether a machine is in cycle, stopped, or in alarm has existed since machines have had electrical controls. These signals are the raw material of connectivity.
The technical difficulty is generally overestimated. In most cases, the connection is completed in a few hours, without disrupting production, and on machines of all generations and manufacturers. The average age of connected equipment in industry often exceeds 15 years, which proves that supposed obsolescence is not a real obstacle.
Modern collection devices are designed to adapt to any type of electrical infrastructure, from the latest numerical controls to older electromechanical relays. This flexibility allows for seamless integration without requiring major modifications to existing equipment. Thus, even a conventional milling machine from the 1970s can provide valuable data on its utilization rate, production cycles, and downtime periods.
If you've ever experienced implementing an ERP, you've probably kept a painful memory of these IT projects that drag on. What was supposed to take six months stretches over several years, the initial budget is multiplied by three or four, and tensions with the integrator keep growing.
This traumatic experience leads many manufacturers to dread any new digital project. However, machine connectivity has nothing to do with these organizational monsters.
A typical machine connectivity project usually unfolds over 5 weeks, with clearly defined stages:
These projects are designed as "quick-wins" with rapid and measurable return on investment. They require very little involvement from internal teams, except for electricians during installation, and end users for a few hours of training.
Providers specializing in machine connectivity typically offer complete solutions:
Unlike ERPs that require a deep redesign of company processes, machine connectivity adapts to your existing organization. It simply adds a layer of visibility to your production, without disrupting your working methods.
One of the most satisfying aspects of machine connectivity projects is how quickly the first results appear. From the first few weeks, you begin to have objective data on your production, which allows for immediately identifying improvement opportunities.
Clients implementing machine connectivity solutions generally observe:
These benefits translate directly into measurable financial gains. For an average Quebec company, each point of OEE gained typically represents between 15,000 and 70,000 Canadian dollars in annual savings per machine, making the return on investment particularly fast, often in less than three months.
"We haven't even reached Industry 3.0, so 4.0..."
This response often reveals a misunderstanding of what digital transformation in industry really is. Some people think there is a mandatory linear path, with successive stages to overcome. Industry 2.0, then 3.0, then 4.0, and that you can't move to the next version without necessarily having gone through the previous one.
To start a machine connectivity project, you need:
The confusion often comes from the amalgamation between Industry 3.0 (automation) and Industry 4.0 (digitization). These are two different dimensions that can be developed independently of each other.
A company can perfectly start collecting data on its manual equipment. In fact, it's often in these less automated environments that gains are fastest and most significant.
What is data, at its core? It's simply a reduction of uncertainty. Currently, most decisions in workshops are made "by feeling," based on the experience and intuition of production managers.
Machine connectivity allows for moving from intuitive management to fact-based management. It provides objective information about what's really happening in the workshop, allowing for more informed decisions.
This approach should be the starting point for any improvement initiative, whether it's then about automating, reorganizing, or optimizing processes. Because how can you improve what you don't measure?
Implementing a connectivity project is not as complex as one might think. Here are the fundamental steps to start effectively:
Machine connectivity is not an end in itself, but a powerful tool for continuous improvement. Data is only useful if it triggers concrete actions. Therefore, plan from the start for analysis routines and decision processes based on the collected information. It's this continuous improvement loop, fed by objective real-time data, that generates lasting value.
These four misconceptions - unsuitability for one-off production, machine obsolescence, project complexity, and lack of digital maturity - significantly hinder the transformation of factories. Yet, they all prove unfounded when objectively analyzed.
Machine connectivity is accessible to all manufacturing companies, regardless of their size, machine park, or level of digital maturity. It often constitutes the most logical first step toward Industry 4.0, allowing subsequent projects to be built on factual data rather than impressions.
The competitive advantages of machine connectivity are numerous and significant: increased productivity, reduced operational costs, improved quality, and the ability to react quickly to production contingencies. In an increasingly competitive economic environment, these benefits can make the difference.
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