How Do Factories Incorporate Technology to Improve Their Operations?

In recent decades, the technology used in a factory environment has become increasingly sophisticated and is almost unrecognizable when compared to early production lines. Because the Industrial Revolution, factory technologies have introduced mass production methods, standardization, and more and more high amounts of efficiency for this business sector. Early factory technology was very fundamental when compared to devices and production line setups currently available. However, key factory equipment within the textile industry like the spinning jenny and steam-powered machinery highlighted that automated production lines could achieve greater output levels and employ a smaller sized labor pressure. Modern factories incorporate an array of modern technologies to make sure that the greatest amounts of productivity, efficiency, and safety are achieved. In the following paragraphs, a few of the key bits of technology which are utilized in a contemporary factory is going to be discussed.

Efficient pumping systems 

In lots of factory environments, there’s a necessity to efficiently pump fluids and chemicals across the production line. For instance, within the food industry, a variety of sanitary pumps are generally accustomed to move fluids and ingredients, that are then put in precise quantities to create the ultimate food product. Modern pump manufacturers, such as can be found at https://cbeuptime.com/grundfos/ supply a range of pumping solutions that are used across many different forms of industry and factory environments. Their efficient designs allow them to operate with lower power consumption, which allows cost savings to be made through lower energy requirements. In addition, increasingly efficient pump designs in a factory environment result in lower environmental impact, which can help support the firm’s sustainability and eco-friendly goals. In short, pumping systems form an integral part of many factory production lines, and their efficient designs and lower energy requirements help companies to operate more sustainably.

Drones for improved monitoring and safety

In recent years, drone technology has become increasingly used in factory environments. They are proving to be extremely valuable in monitoring and safety roles and are currently being adopted across industries. For example, drones can be deployed to inspect buildings and structures. They are fitted with high-definition cameras, allowing detailed video and pictures to be gained during the inspection process. By using a drone to inspect factory infrastructure, human workers no longer need to undertake the inspection work in person. This can help to improve factory safety as staff do not need to work at height or undertake inspection work in potentially hazardous environments (e.g., in proximity to extreme temperatures or dangerous chemicals). 

Predictive maintenance platforms 

Finally, it is understood that the financial cost of factory downtime can be extremely high. If machines break down, parts of the production line will need to be stopped until repair work is completed. This can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per hour in lost production in larger factories. Thankfully, by using predictive maintenance platforms, factory staff can monitor the condition of their key production line equipment in real-time. A range of sensing equipment is used to constantly monitor production lines, and the software will issue an alert when machinery or componentry is close to needing maintenance or replacement. This allows staff to plan when maintenance work is undertaken, ideally, outside production hours, and can save significant sums of money while improving efficiency.