SKF and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
Smart manufacturing is the next Industrial Revolution. 5G and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) are enabling factories to seamlessly create a network of wirelessly connected machines and people that can instantaneously collect, analyze and distribute real-time data. The new technology provides more information to give a bigger picture, allowing for simultaneous product customization and maximum production output, while also offering increased flexibility, trace-ability, sustainability and safety.
Paving the way
A global leader in the bearing industry, SKF wants to make manufacturing processes and systems faster, safer, cleaner and more robust. The collaboration with Ericsson and Chalmers University of Technology is achieving this through a pilot production system for spherical roller bearings at SKF’s pioneering smart factory in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The smart manufacturing project is enabling Martin Friis and his team at SKF’s world-class factory to radically transform manufacturing, and provide competitive advantage by introducing fundamental changes to the way industries operate.
The future of manufacturing
As a frontrunner in industrial digitalization research, Chalmers University of Technology co-ordinated the 5G Enabled Manufacturing (5GEM) project. Ericsson was a driving force behind the establishment of the Government-supported collaboration with Chalmers University of Technology and the bearing manufacturing company SKF. Professor Johan Stahre outlines the reasoning behind the 5GEM project and why 5G technology will have the power to transform factories and ways of working.
Focus on IIoT
With far-reaching benefits to industries around the world, the IIoT business model works on the idea that service enablement, cloud, security and connectivity operate as a combined infrastructure.
IIoT imaginatively unites communications and automation – harnessing data analytics, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication and process automation to boost overall efficiency, launching a new era of market opportunities and economic growth.
Smart factories that utilize IIoT are an integral part of tomorrow's intelligent infrastructure, offering an effective platform for future opportunities. 5G-powered technology provides a comprehensive and cost-efficient solution for any manufacturing scenario.
But perhaps the most significant societal development, as Ulrika Engström from Ericsson illustrates, is the way IIoT puts smart tools in the hands of smart people, leading to increased wellbeing and a better-informed workforce. By empowering people with the right information and equipment, the smart factory aims to revolutionize conditions in manufacturing, transporting it into a bright, ambitious future.
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