INDUSTRY 4.0 JULY/AUGUST 2019
INDUSTRY 4.0
ON A SHOESTRING
In a major new project, Digital Manufacturing on a Shoestring, researchers are working
with SME manufacturers to identify new ways to implement digital capabilities
BY DUNCAN MFARLANE, PROJECT LEAD, INSTITUTE FOR MANUFACTURING, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Digital technologies promise exciting new
possibilities in manufacturing. There
are many opportunities for improving
productivity and effi ciency, both on the
shopfl oor and in the back offi ce.
As an industry, we have the potential
to harness data to make better decisions,
understand how parts or production jobs are
moving through the factory, get automated updates
on the status of equipment, connect more closely
with customers and suppliers, and much more.
All of these improvements can help
manufacturers operate more effi ciently,
drive down costs and strengthen customer
relationships. And the price of not embracing
digital is high: there is a real risk of being left
behind by the competition.
But there are major barriers for SME
manufacturers looking to reap the benefi ts of
digitalisation. Cost, complexity and the need for
digital knowhow often make extensive digital
transformation too diffi cult for small companies.
The problem for SMEs
Most eff orts in the digital manufacturing space
have been focused on large-scale solutions for
big companies. This isn’t surprising: it’s where
the main profi table opportunity lies for
commercial solutions providers.
Such solutions typically
require signifi cant initial
investment and ongoing
operating costs, as well as a
need for digital skills within
the organisation. In addition,
they may require upgrades
of industrial computing and
communication environments
to support advanced
technological solutions. Cost
and disruption levels are high.
This situation risks leaving
SMEs behind, and a diff erent
model is needed to support
them as a vital part of the
manufacturing sector.
How can SMEs move
towards achievable
digitalisation?
Digital Manufacturing on a
Shoestring is an ambitious
project seeking to break down
these barriers for SMEs. Funded
by the Engineering and Physical
Sciences Research
Council (EPSRC), the
research team at the
University of Cambridge’s
Institute for Manufacturing
(IfM) is collaborating with
researchers at the University
of Nottingham and with SME
manufacturers.
SMEs are looking for
inexpensive and easy digital
manufacturing solutions to
specifi c problems. They typically
haven’t got large specialised
IT departments. So, as well as
being low-cost, solutions need
to be easy to use. Our aim is to
enable these fi rms to harness
the benefi ts of digitalisation
without the excessive risk and
cost of implementing systems
designed for large companies.
Carl Dean of PCML,
a Cambridgeshire-based
manufacturer of precisionengineering
components and
assemblies, has been involved
with the project from the
beginning. He says: “Introducing
digital technologies into SME
manufacturing can be costprohibitive.
A lot of the things
The IfM’s
Shoestring
project aims
to introduce
Industry 4.0 to
SME companies
28 www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk
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