Data-Driven Manufacturing: Start Small but Think Big

Data-driven manufacturing can seem a little daunting at first, but what does it really mean for your shop?

The truth is that productivity and the shop of tomorrow requires data: cutting tool data, machine data, quality data and operator productivity data. It may sound simplistic, but that’s the essence of Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things: the collection and analysis of data, followed by better decision-making as a result of these data-related efforts. To the shop of the future, data will be everything.

Getting started is easier and less expensive than ever—and it no longer requires a big budget or the technical skills of a computer scientist. The key is to start small, according to Sandvik’s three-part series of data-driven manufacturing.

At the very least, getting your machine tools “connected” will let you check production status from anywhere. Taken to the next level, you can gather hundreds or even thousands of data points from a modern machine tool, including in-process metrology data, machine maintenance information…READ MORE.