There are countless buzz words surrounding Industry 4.0 in today's world but what does it actually mean? And how do we implement this within operations? Automation Plus brings quantifiable operational improvements through technology, implementing industry 4.0. In putting meaning to it, Automation Plus says industry 4.0 means this: • Real Time Connection to Business Systems • Holistically Optimizing Operations • Predictive Production/Maintenance • Targeted Equipment/Operation Analysis • Automating/Verifying Manual Processes • Agile Manufacturing Automation Plus implemented industry 4.0 for a major manufacturing facility, within a highly regulated industry, by completing a control system modernization from AB PLC-5 to a modern server based distributed control system (PlantPAx) in a fully validated environment. The customer's challenges included reliability issues, production inefficiency, and material tracking issues. An interface between factory floor control and the SAP enterprise system was implemented. The solution enabled increased production, total paperless production, ERP level logistics and integration and full simulation system for training and offline modifications. Our customer had a list of reasons why they selected this solution. The reasons included migrating to modern and scalable automation technology, the technology supported FDA validation processes, it both mitigated risk and minimized operational costs, and it provided electronic records and data security. Automation Plus provided not only technical expertise but also industry expertise and insight for a total project success.
