The demands on manufacturing are growing. As systems age, you’re faced with deciding where to focus your efforts to remain competitive in the marketplace. With all the factors that go into vetting upgrades, how do you choose where to invest?
True pioneering in the manufacturing industry starts with data and application-adaptive software that allows enterprises to see “inside” their process, find solutions and be more agile. Unfortunately, much of the focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) today lies with hardware alone. A hardware-only approach can be an expensive investment that dates quickly, and it has innate limitations; i.e., you don’t get alerts that the process isn’t working. You simply get alerts that the hardware isn’t working.
“Manufacturing is fast becoming a tech-forward industry,” explains Patrick Youssi, President of Finna Sensors. “IoT and AI will continue to take over. That’s just the way it is.” Industry 4.0 is here and it’s no longer a matter of if an enterprise will adapt, but where an enterprise chooses to improve and invest that will determine their success.
Unless AI and IoT investments also offer innovation, updates, and real-time solutions, cost savings and increased production are merely temporary. That’s why manufacturing enterprises should consider investing in and selecting software upgrades that can adapt and improve as Industry 4.0 advances.
At Finna Sensors, we believe that keeping up with the speed of manufacturing shouldn’t end with just adapting – it requires disrupting “normal” thinking, if you want to thrive. By combining the right hardware with the right software, manufacturing enterprises can embrace more rapid change and create even more efficient processes that allow them to evolve, compete and win. We are focused on providing manufacturers with a competitive advantage for the next 10 years, not the next 10 months. This extends the life of the customers’ investments and encapsulates our dedication to keeping up with the speed of manufacturing.
Finna Sensors’ latest sensors not only accurately measure moisture or other constituents, but also pass along key sensor-health information. Sensors will actively monitor multiple points internally (OMNIR: Near Infrared Sensor currently has 19) to confirm their readings are accurate while performing diagnostics to report maintenance needs now or in the future. All of this is the kind of upstream data that is demanded of enterprises who want to meet (and stay ahead of) Industry 4.0 standards.
Data — a true cornerstone of Industry 4.0 — highlights the different elements of your process and gives your engineers and personnel real-time insights into the quality, output, and speed of your process. That’s why we have made the strategic decision to make all our latest sensors IoT-compatible, therefore creating solutions that let enterprises know what readings mean for their processes and output.
The goal of any sensor or IoT software investment is to make your current equipment, hardware, and process engineering more efficient — based on data.
“Let’s just say someone may be using their dryers at a higher temperature than needed to ensure that the product is absolutely dry,” explains Youssi. “Naturally, this can cause over-drying. Sensors on the incoming product (before the dryer) and outgoing product (after the dryer) can show whether they need to raise or lower the temperature to get their product at the ideal moisture content. These sensors save the enterprise money because they are operating the dryer at peak efficiency, therefore limiting their fuel usage and virtually eliminating material damages.”
Taking it a step further, that data, over time, can be used to optimize conditions in the dryer, reducing product waste.
This is what’s possible with the right software with application-specific data collection capabilities. With OMNIR and other products, Finna Sensors has created all-sensing solutions that deliver accurate data instantaneously and non-destructively.
OMNIR and other sensors are sort of like the vehicle for forward-thinking IoT; it’s not just about cost-cutting anymore. Our sensors self-diagnose to eliminate the need for personnel response, self-calibrate for more accurate data readings and alerts, support alarms and notifications for immediate resolution, and enable remote, cloud-based monitoring to ensure up-time and quick responses. But most importantly, Finna Sensors’ products offer real-time feedback and updates from customers. OMNIR and other Finna Sensors’ products aren’t “stationary”: updates are frequent and immediate, as compared to years for many competitors (or, in some cases, non-existent).
“We focus innovation and specific solutions through our software, not just a generic reading or common problem,” Youssi shares. All of this results in a proactive, ever-advancing solution that keeps companies ahead of the curve — and makes an IoT infrastructure worth the investment.
As a team, Finna Sensors has a desire to stay fresh. Keep improving. Adapt. We’re not happy with the status quo. We hire the best software and data analytics experts to drive innovation.
What does all of this mean for customers? Finna Sensors is focused on creating better products for manufacturers and adapting real-time solutions based on clients’ actual needs.
“A lot of companies focus on the hardware,” Youssi says, “but we focus on the people. We create things that help our customers, and we think about how our sensing solutions are used by people to solve problems.” As such, the people we add to our team are chosen based on how they approach solutions with their unique expertise and their desire to innovate — not just maintain.
Companies are spending billions on upgrades, but we want to make sure that our customers’ investments help them make more money, improve processes and increase quality.
“It’s not just a black box,” explains Youssi. “We want our customers to utilize our solutions to realize outsized gains.”
If you want to keep up with the speed of manufacturing and prepare for changes to come, it starts by looking at where you make investments and updates in your business. You need tools, equipment, hardware, and software that are adaptable — because Industry 4.0 is here and it is constantly evolving.
“Now more than ever, it’s important to continuously evolve business through smart innovation,” Youssi says.
Read about how proper data management can enhance your Industry 4.0 manufacturing strategy.
Learn more about Finna Sensors, our people, and solutions to see how we can help you advance in Industry 4.0 and beyond.