The practice of serialisation sees uniquely identifiable codes being printed onto product packaging and labels, with data aggregation through primary and secondary packaging enabling the flow of goods from manufacturer to consumer to be tracked efficiently. By scanning these codes, resellers and consumers can check that products are genuine and not subject to recall, or beyond their shelf life. Any issues can be traced back through the supply chain to pinpoint the source and rectify it.
The importance of consistent, high-quality coding on packaging and labelling is greater than ever, as is the pressure to produce in greater quantities. Coding and marking may seem a smaller part of the whole supply chain process – but when errors are introduced this can endanger the traceability of the product, meaning production must be halted. This leads to missed deadlines, inaccurate quotas, wastage, and potential corporate liability increases.
In every sector, improved production line automation and system integration are essential to simplifying the coding process and ensuring accuracy at high speed. One of the most effective ways of enforcing this is through the Industrial Internet of Things, or IIoT, – where machines, systems and processes across the factory and up through the enterprise are integrated and connected to the internet.
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With a focus on smart manufacturing and conforming an entire supply chain, Industry 4.0’s development has given machinery on production lines the ability to inter-connect, send and share data, and report all information on to an on-site or cloud-based system. This enables manufacturers to capture and analyse data throughout each stage of the supply chain, and then manage every manufacturing sequence as fast and accurately as possible.
Industry 4.0 for coding and marking technology
With constant competition for market share, and an increase in the variety of products delivered by brands, production lines are seeing fewer long, dedicated runs of one product and more frequent line changeovers. Automation of these lines, and the machinery that runs on them, can help reduce the time needed for line changeovers and the potential for errors when entering new coding data.
Connected serialisation equipment can also alert operators to any issues or when actions are required at some point along the production line. Data uploaded to a cloud-based system can be presented on a remote device or main monitor on the production floor, helping operators to determine when any parameters are approaching poor condition, when consumables are running low, or if maintenance is required.
For businesses that are looking at investing in technology using Industry 4.0 concepts, there is an opportunity to gain productivity improvement through the implementation of the newest coding and marking technology on the market. These printers can deliver simplification, standardisation and efficiency, resulting in improvements in Total Cost of Operation (TCO).
Newer, more reliable systems may incur a premium cost upon purchase, but the long-term costs of shoe horning older technology into I4.0 practices can be substantial. Older machines that don’t meet a production line’s exact coding requirements are more likely to need additional maintenance and consume more ink or makeup than a printer with the correct specifications and setup. Additionally, relying on older coding and marking equipment often requires a backup machine for each printer. These redundant machines — plus service agreements, parts and downtime — further add to costs.
When considering Industry 4.0 for a business that operates with packaging and labelling, coding is one instance where the benefits of new equipment can far outweigh those of upgrading older equipment for new connectivity.
The future of Industry 4.0
As Industry 4.0 practices continue to advance, manufacturers will be faced with a whole host of technological choices. Sensors and intelligent camera systems will become central to the overall operation, feeding back data on the physical characteristics of items on the production line into the analysis systems. Issues can be immediately pinpointed and the whole system adjusted to remedy these problems in time for the next product run.
System intelligence is likely to grow through its learning of production practices and real-time data recording – the more data that’s recorded, the more intelligent it will become as it learns the operation’s practices. Production itself will become increasingly flexible, thousands of immediate modifications will be made with the touch of a button, based on real-time data. Coding and marking printers themselves could be automatically controlled using artificial intelligence (AI) in the cloud to resolve any issues and optimise their efficiency.
In order to reach optimum levels of operation, a culture of employees with manufacturing skills – engineering, skilled trades and production – will be critical. New job titles and qualifications may become an industry standard and these specialists may well be required to ensure systems run smoothly.
Conclusion
Before any decision is made on automated technology, it is vital that organisations analyse their current manufacturing procedures and decide if an amalgamated approach is required. Many companies are already making the shift into Industry 4.0 production practices and others will very shortly follow suit. To avoid being left behind, and to ensure production lines flow with minimal downtime and machinery runs proficiently, manufacturers should seriously investigate Industry 4.0 now. Taking action now will empower companies, offering them more control over their coding and marking processes, all the while ensuring production remains at its most optimum levels.