DRTS Extruders & Industry 4.0 Smart Manufacturing Standards

Joey MezistranoMachinery & Equipments, Pipe Extrusion

industry 4.0 extruder machine

DRTS Pipe Extruder Machines & Industry 4.0 Smart Manufacturing Standards

Entering the world of Industry 4.0, or Smart manufacturing, enables companies to manage and monitor production line equipment and operations through the internet. The application of such technologies is commonly referred to as The Internet of Things (IoT) or Cloud Computing. Pertaining to extruder machines, the use of industry 4.0 smart manufacturing standards can have a great impact on increasing the effectiveness of operations and optimizing manufacturing efficiency to reduce production losses.

Benefits of Industry 4.0 Extruder Machines

Industry 4.0 can provide manufacturers with a great deal of benefits, through the application of “smart production” technology. Even though each pipe extrusion company’s needs and conditions differ, the most important benefits from engaging in the Industry 4.0 digital revolution, are:

  • Improved productivity, efficiency and quality, through better management of information and resources
  • Easier to adapt to sudden production increases and introduce new products to the pipe production line
  • Increased profitability, through reduction of production costs
  • Reduction or avoidance of wasted materials and downtimes, through effective preventive maintenance
  • Better customer experience by offering a variety of choices and improved product quality

So, to succeed in this new environment, plastic pipe extrusion companies need to rethink how they do business and engage in their own digital revolution, in order to achieve the highest return on investment.

Next Level Equipment Integration

Extruders with Industry 4.0 functionality support easy interfacing and data serving to other systems. They provide robust data acquisition processes, utilizing standardized protocols for machine-to-machine communication, such as OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA). Here are a few examples of the benefits of Industry 4.0 integration:

  • Increased versatility and easy extruder integration with other manufacturing line components, such as gravimetric feeder systems and online thickness inspection equipment
  • Extruder connectivity with higher level IT systems, such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and MES (Manufacturing Execution System)

Efficient Extruder Machine Operation

Pipe extruders that are integrated with industry 4.0 standards offer end-to-end manufacturing management. This allows for real time monitoring of information such as raw material consumption, energy consumption, heating zones efficiency and temperature stability. Helping technicians take immediate action and allowing managers to monitor operational costs in real time.

Additionally, connected extruders give you the ability to utilize Remote Maintenance capabilities, via secure connection protocols. This enables immediate connection of the extruder manufacturer and specialized maintenance experts directly to the machine, allowing intervention and problem solving in case of fault. In addition, it gives the ability to receive DRTS online live support without requiring any actual technicians visit.

Reduction of Unplanned Downtimes

Connected equipment allows for easier analysis of a worn or likely to fail part, thus indicating that preventive maintenance should take place.

Comprehensive manufacturing operations history log for every moment of the extruders operation. This enables easy review of historical data and plotting of production parameters trends, resulting in a more effective operations overview and equipment management.

Security & Integrity

Security is always a major concern whenever mission critical equipment is connected to an outside network, such as the internet. Industry 4.0 technology has come a long way in standardizing technologies that ensure the highest levels of security. DRTS extruder machines feature the latest robust security technologies, such as:

  • Firewall connection architecture
  • Login credentials
  • OPC Unified Architecture security protocols

The Ideal Industry 4.0 Extruder Solution

DRTS extruders are equipped with state-of-the-art parts and implement modern Industry 4.0 smart manufacturing standards. They are easy to integrate in any production line and offer a combination of features and benefits which allows you to achieve optimum production line operation. With our Industry 4.0 extruder machine functionality, we allow you to address production issues fast, in a cost efficient, timely, reliable and accurate manner.

Contact us here to learn more about our custom built industry 4.0 extruder machines.

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