Four time-saving benefits of edge computing in manufacturing

Edge can transform your business by bridging the digital and physical worlds. Organizations can create systems and build a data-driven culture in which teams receive reliable, real-time data directly on the shop floor. Edge also saves time by reducing the need for complex data preparation and management, enabling teams to focus on tasks that need to be addressed right now.

The time to implement edge computing is now. Gartner estimates 75% of enterprise data will be “created and processed outside a traditional centralized data center or cloud” by 2025. If your organization wants to gain real-time data access to an array of connected devices and systems, edge computing can help save time with these four benefits.

Localized action for operation teams

Edge computing provides real-time data to the shop floor for teams to quickly address pressing problems. Displaying performance metrics such as parts produced, defects rates, or other settings can keep teams up-to-date with current performance. 

Edge computing data helps operators isolate where the issue is when production counts, defect rates, or other metrics are out of range instead of visiting each section, part, or machine. In larger manufacturing plants, identifying where to take localized action can help operations teams avoid walking all over the plant to pinpoint where the issue began and what needs fixing to make quick adjustments limits scrap and waste.

For example, the Braincube Alert App notifies operators when current production settings are out of predetermined parameters. You have the flexibility to select the specific conditions you want to be alerted about, along with the alert frequency and method (e.g., email or SMS notification). You can also choose who received those alerts, providing key team members with full visibility to reduce waste and improve efficiency. 

Improved productivity with remote monitoring

By utilizing edge computing, managers and operators can stay informed about the production status of their plants without physically being present on the shop floor. This remote access allows for efficient decision-making, updates, and changes made without the need for on-site verification. This valuable visibility into live conditions ultimately enhances the overall productivity of the manufacturing process.

Having operators walk around the plant floor to every machine to check the status can be time-consuming and tiring. These manual checks can take hours from an operator’s day, reducing the time for imperative tasks like conducting tests or adjusting settings. 

Reducing how often frontline workers walk the plant floor could improve safety conditions, as some industries have machines that are dangerous to workers. For example, in chemical or oil and gas industries, some equipment contains flammable or explosive elements that are risky to everyone working on the shop floor. Edge computing allows teams to accurately monitor the status of these machines and keep everyone safe.

Additionally, remote monitoring can provide operation managers with the status of each machine. This helps them manage teams to be most effective, plus gives teams the flexibility to handle any spontaneous issues. 

Time-saving data preparation

Edge computing enables real-time data gathering and preparation. However, it can be challenging to convert vast amounts of data from different machines and equipment into a structured format that presents valuable insights. This requires loading the data into the correct format and the right location.

Braincube offers a Data Flows Manager that makes it easy for teams to create and share data flows across their organization. These data flows provide real-time insights that are constantly cleaned and transformed. Users can build, manage, and leverage advanced data preparation until data science models are on edge. These models can be edited or left to evolve for maximum agility and scalability. 

One of Braincube’s customers struggled to gain insights from their large and complete data sets when transitioning to a more technologically advanced factory. They decided to leverage Braincube to access and transform data streams to access clean and usable formats. 

No latency for improved performance

Having access to real-time data with no latency is a significant time-saving benefit of edge computing. Latency refers to the time it takes for data to travel. It can significantly impact the performance, reliability, and security of data-intensive applications and machines. When IIoT devices send data to the Cloud, then back to the shop floor, it can waste valuable time that impacts multiple aspects of production. These delays can cause downtime, increased waste, and hazards. 

Edge computing allows for real-time data processing and visibility, which reduces latency and improves responsiveness. This can aid team members in making critical decisions in real-time. Manufacturing leaders and operations managers can employ edge computing throughout their factories instead of sending data to a server for analysis and response to minimize data transfer delays. 

Conclusion

There are many time-saving benefits to edge computing that can be advantageous to decision-making. Edge computing should not replace Cloud, but it is a beneficial partnership to create a hyperconnected culture.  ​​Edge computing reduces data processing latency, increases response speed, and enables localized action for operation teams with remote monitoring.