Lorch South Pacific managing director, David Wilton, speaks about Industry 4.0 Smart Welding Solutions and how it drives customer productivity.
What do people think about when they hear the words “Welding Industry”?
Many would think “old school”, “dirty job”, “uninspiring”, “slow to change”. But what if these were just perceptions standing in the way of our welding industry being seen as innovative, progressive and cutting edge?
The invention of the steam engine heralded the first major industrial revolution, followed by mass production and electricity for the second revolution, and computer processing and automation, the third revolution. Today we are powering into the fourth industrial revolution, Industry 4.0 and the opportunity to re-invent welding as we know it.
Industry 4.0 and Welding
“Smart factories” is the description Industry 4.0 is often given, says Mr Wilton, due to cyber physical systems being integrated into the production process. Industry 4.0 is created on the Internet of Things (IoT), connecting and digitising automated tasks and updating manufacturing processes directly between equipment and operator.
“Why is this all so important? The reason is simple: embedded in the data is untapped potential for process optimisation to drive cost and efficiency improvements. Industry 4.0 allows us to see future problems before they happen through the analysis of real time production data, giving companies greater control of their entire welding operations.”
Industry 4.0 sounds very futuristic and yet it still relies on the human factor. The craftsmanship of a skilled welding operator cannot be replaced by a robot. Industry 4.0 brings the two sides together and is our opportunity to update the welding industry, educate new talent, refresh methodologies and deliver cutting edge, next generation performance levels. This has the potential to establish Australia and New Zealand as highly capable, globally competitive manufacturing countries in many industry segments.
Lorch – Industry 4.0 Solutions for tomorrow’s industrial challenges
As a global leader in welding technology and innovation for over 50 years, the focus of Lorch Schweißtechnik GmbH is on the development of Industry 4.0 Smart Welding Solutions to drive customer productivity backed with exceptional service and support.
Designed, tested and manufactured in Germany, the development and application of advanced engineered welding systems is what Lorch do, it’s all Lorch do and is what separates Lorch from many of their competitors.
Today, as we accelerate into Industry 4.0, Lorch is the obvious choice with a complete cutting-edge portfolio of Industry 4.0 Solutions. The centrepiece is Lorch Wi-Fi Connect Technology that interconnects the already digitalised welding systems to a cloud platform, unleashing a host of digital management tools to optimise welding processes, costing accuracy, drive productivity, quality and overall production efficiencies.
Lorch Connect, a simple, easy, risk-free entry into the world of smart, digitally interlinked Industry 4.0 technology.
LORCH INDUSTRY 4.0 SOLUTIONS
For further information please contact David Wilton: LSP@lorch.eu
or visit www.lorch.eu to find a Lorch partner near you.
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