Fujitsu Improves Manufacturing Process with Intel Collaboration

The fast-growing integration of the internet of things (IoT) in the manufacturing industry has prompted software companies to design with IoT in mind. The problem, however, lies in connecting to the legacy equipment that is currently being used in manufacturing. Fujitsu and Intel's recent collaboration shows exactly how an intelligent infrastructure can seamlessly connect to legacy systems.Fujitsu Limited announced it completed a field trial of IoT capabilities in partnership with Intel Corporation at their Shimane Fujitsu Limited location. In the trial, the Fujitsu cloud service IoT platform was linked to the Intel IoT gateway. The result? They cut shipping costs that resulted from delays by 30%.

Challenges

At the facility, when an issue appeared during a product's functionality testing, it was sent to the repair area where it would go through a diagnosis, analysis, and repair process before being shipped. Problems occurred, however, when manufactures could not replicate the fault utilizing the same production sequence. The ideal process to remedy this is to conduct a comprehensive analysis after re-running the sequence that caused the fault along with the tools/equipment used in order to zero in on what exactly caused the defect in the first place. Previously, there was no real-time visualization, meaning it was nearly impossible to recreate the fault which caused the initial delays delivering the product. Even more problems were apparent in the repair area. For example, staff working on the project were not aware of the fulfillment, logistics, or shipping requirements in real-time. As a result, it was impossible to prioritize products based on their shipping deadline. It also meant that there would be extra cost in scheduling shipping transportation- which is bad for a manufacturing plant's bottom line.

Solutions

First, the functionality testing process was recorded on video to capture the exact process and error code. The video was then sent to the Intel IoT gateway to analyze the feed. Through video monitoring, the plant was able to effectively map out every action taken during the functionality testing process that lead to the error. On top of that, the aggregated data could be used to determine any trends and, ultimately, cut down on shipping costs. The same real-time visualization was then applied to the repair area. In order to keep track of the product in repair, a beacon sensor was attached. This enabled all line workers to know where the product was located, how long it was there, and when it was scheduled for shipping. This empowered employees to prioritize items based on the extensive information they have at their fingertips. The increased visibility resulted in less bottlenecks in the repair process, more orders being delivered on time, and cut shipping costs by 30%.

The IoT phenomenon ultimately will create a system of networks that provide utmost visibility in supply chains not only within one plant but across all related plants. The Intel IoT gateway is a great step in the right direction to integrate legacy equipment into the newly evolving smart infrastructure. Previously inaccessible data will be applicable to a wide range of uses. As Intel points out, "by 2020, more than 200 billion devices will be connected to the cloud and each other in what is commonly called the internet of things."