What is smart production?

A connected machine alone does not make for smart production. Neither does a dashboard. Smart production only emerges through the interplay of three capabilities: production must be networked, understandable, and capable of automatically deriving the right actions from information.

Simply put: The right information must be in the right place at the right time, and this must lead to the right actions. If any one of these three elements is missing, production remains fragmented: Connectivity without transparency provides data without direction. Transparency without action remains mere observation.

The Three Building Blocks of Smart Production

Connected (connected production)
Machines, products, and systems are reliably connected via communication channels that are as open and standardized as possible—from sensors to ERP, MES, and cloud systems. This lays the foundation for reliably capturing production data in the first place and reusing it with the necessary context.

Transparent (transparent production)
The production status is made clear: Each role is granted targeted access to the data relevant to it. If manual intervention is necessary, the right person is notified at the right time and in the right place, with all the necessary information. A dashboard alone is not enough to achieve this.

Data-Driven (data-driven production)
Information is translated into automated system and process actions. Systems coordinate with one another, request missing data on their own, and initiate approved actions independently. Manual intervention is eliminated wherever it is no longer necessary.

It is only through the interaction of these three building blocks that individual digitalization projects come together to form end-to-end smart production. By the way: For us, smart production is not the same thing as Industry 4.0. The basic idea behind Industry 4.0—that systems work together autonomously—is reflected primarily in the third building block: data-driven production.

Why Smart Production Is Important

Manufacturing companies are under pressure: shorter product lifecycles, greater product variety, and rising demands for efficiency and quality. Those who do not utilize production data make decisions based on gut feelings rather than facts. Smart Production lays the foundation for making processes comparable across plants and locations, identifying potential early on, and planning investments in a more targeted manner.

Smart Production with inray

inray bundles its software products into a comprehensive ecosystem designed specifically for this purpose: Kepware Server and OPC Router provide connectivity, manubes makes production data transparent, and pronubes enables data-driven utilization. This transforms individual components into a modular system that grows with your needs.