Aston University has announced that it is working with Redditch-based manufacturing company Protaform Springs and Pressings on a digital transformation of its production processes.
Through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership, researchers at Aston University aim to enable Protform to exploit Industry 4.0 advancements.
These include innovations in automation, big data and smart systems, as well as Industry 5.0 – an area of operations management research that places wellbeing at the centre of the production process.
The team will use smart sensors and micro-controllers to enable automated data collection from Protaform’s manufacturing processes, creating real-time, data-driven dashboards, to enable factory data to be accessible from any location worldwide.
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The research team will also use a whole systems approach to review and analyse the human-machine interactions within the company, identifying key success factors and areas for further optimisation.
The project aims to enable Protaform to implement more effective production planning and control its end-to-end manufacturing, creating a transformation in its business and management processes to drive efficiency improvements and deliver sustainable growth.
What’s more, the partnership aims to contribute to the growth of the UK manufacturing sector by providing a blueprint for manufacturing companies looking to make productivity and efficiency improvements through digitisation.
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Professor Ben Clegg, previously head of operations and information management at Aston Business School, and who is now leading the project, said: “Implementing a new piece of technology or digitising a machine, is doomed to fail unless you rethink strategy, processes, and address people’s attitudes towards change.
“A factory is a complex system, and it’s the interaction between different parts of the system – the people, the machines, the data, the regulatory frameworks – that provide opportunities for success.
“This is why, for a project of this kind, you have to take a whole systems approach.”
Innovations and achievements in manufacturing will be highlighted and celebrated at the second annual Robotics & Automation Awards on 06 November 2024 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit www.roboticsandautomationawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable industry event – and to book your table today!
