The big challenges of the Offroad industry
The Offroad industry is facing many challenges with assembly processes. There is a low degree of flexibility and potentially costly human errors, while the expansion of technological advances and agricultural mechanization in existing and new markets continues to evolve. An increasingly digital and connected assembly process will vastly benefit manufacturers – and reduce their costs.
Offroad vehicles for the construction, forestry and agricultural sectors will gradually increase in complexity and demand as the population grows.
Offroad vehicle manufacturing companies haven’t traditionally been the first to leap onto the train of digitalization.
One reason for the automation delay is the complexity of assembly – Offroad vehicle factories still run on predominantly manual processes.
The resounding success factors are to collect and use data in innovative ways, analyzing this data and finding new opportunities based on better decisions, consequently improving efficiency.
Smart manufacturing
Industry 4.0 represents the new industrial revolution where the Internet of Things (IoT) and the resulting big data flow converge with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in order to make predictions and avoid errors in production. Add opportunities derived from augmented reality (AR) and additive manufacturing (AM), and the potential is remarkable, with lower costs, higher efficiency and fewer human errors in the process.
No need for worry; the entire process doesn’t need to be fully automated using robotics to produce vast amounts of data to be analyzed and turned into business opportunities. Smart connected tools are a first step towards moving into a data-driven assembly process.
The digital potential is huge.
A lot of companies already collect data, but there are still doubts about what to do with this data. By using proper analytical software tools, a plant manager can know within seconds if an operation is below the desired standards. From the data, we can engage in proper training activities as well as providing the end-customer with detailed statistics regarding tightening quality in their assembly process.
Smart manufacturing in action, solving Industry 4.0's biggest challenges.
This is how Atlas Copco pictures the smart manufacturing concept. Maintenance will be performed at the right time, in a reliable way and with an easy configuration for each application. This will help our customers increase uptime, handle new product introductions easily and reduce defects, among other benefits.
The 3 advantages of smart manufacturing for the Offroad industry
The main cost-reducing effect of increasing connectivity in the Offroad industry is economics in its simplest form. By keeping track of all the smart tools and how they are used by their operators, managers can initiate pre-emptive measures for replacing tools before they break down.
Reducing downtime and improving quality in the production line are some of the most important demands from manufacturers. By minimizing human errors and faulty tools, efficiency can increase significantly. This allows plants to become more flexible in their process. The big data flows also provide an opportunity for building replica factories in other markets.
