The view for Industry 4.0 in terms of inspection is to increase quality and maximise throughput, whilst reducing costs right down the production line, making your manufacturing processes faster and more accurate than ever before.

In order for this to happen, multi-sensor metrology alone is not enough to seize the maximum potential of your production line. Rather, integration of autonomous processes and hardware as well as complete connectivity is needed to fully embrace the manufacturing of tomorrow as well as the future of metrology.

Moving forward into Industry 4.0, manufacturers must implement intelligent manufacturing practices with the following approaches and equipment.

Automation

Introducing automated part recognition, marking, and robotic handling are all potential technologies to be integrated into present and future metrology processes and production systems. Robotic loading and unloading of components offers measuring machine integration within the production line and the minimisation of errors through decreased manual transferring and handling.

Connectivity between the measurement systems and the manufacturing machines allows for autonomous adjustment of variant tolerances within production. Removing operator intervention reduces opportunities for human error. This not only protects quality of your production line but also assures a higher level of reliability within these processes. Automated inspection ultimately provides a flexible and connected solution to maximise your overall productivity.

A Closed-Loop Operation

Revolutionary closed-loop technology is a complete manufacturing method in one system. It incorporates every step at once and delivers the ultimate production performance through the combination of expert knowledge, machining, and metrology.

Closed-loop manufacturing integrates manufacturing and measurement operations following inspection, which reduces costs and improves quality. This closed loop is not only designed to automate quality assurance, it also raises the bar on machining accuracy to an entirely new level, ensuring your production line is of the highest possible standard.

Cloud Monitoring

Cloud monitoring allows measuring systems to communicate and request and send data, as well as change and alter measurements using intuitive autonomous functions such as adjustment of tolerance limits in pre-production, or the range of testing dependent on tolerance utilisation.

Visturalised infrastructure can lend numerous benefits to a metrology system. Data points and relevant information can be stored remotely and retrieved as needed. Software demands can also be offloaded and workplace collaboration can be made easier, particularly for engineers and operators out in the field.

Communication and Connectivity

A big part of Industry 4.0’s focus is the networked exchange of data between machines to maximise production efficiency. Features such as self-monitoring will be integrated into machine operational functions, including built-in sensors such as microphone chips to survey warehouses, heat sensors to moderate production temperature, and many more. These components will have the ability to communicate and exchange data, making it possible for chipped machine equipment to disclose its own outage and initiate production as well as assembly of a replacement tool.

For more information regarding advanced multi-sensor metrology solutions contact an industry expert at OGP UK where our engineers will be happy to assist you in all of your measurement needs and queries.

Contact a Metrology Expert View Our Metrology Equipment