Linn Storäng, Regional Director, Northern and Eastern Europe at Axis Communications, explains the key role played by modern IP camera technology in digital transformation efforts, and the benefits of actionable insights in revolutionising manufacturing businesses.
Digital transformation (DT) is reshaping the manufacturing industry. New, advanced technologies are boosting efficiency, productivity and competitiveness for those already on the road; for those that aren’t, the rapid innovation in the market means DT may no longer be optional, but rather a growing necessity. Moreover, it’s crucial for the sector to maintain a broad perspective as AI takes centre stage.
DT in manufacturing is driven by big concepts like Industry 4.0 and the idea of smart factories. It leans heavily on specific improvements to mission-critical equipment, but transformation leaders cannot overlook the importance and power of transformation in supporting technologies – specifically, network video. And given the complex and intricate structure of industrial facilities, as well as the specific automation, real-time data exchange, and advanced analytics components of Industry 4.0, digital video solutions should perhaps not even be considered a supporting technology.
Cameras now play a vital role in enabling situational awareness and creating actionable insights, as powerful as part of security and safety protocols as they are at providing the data required to optimise processes and procedures. DT is an opportunity to leverage the full potential of network video alongside advanced artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to take manufacturing enterprises to the next level.
Innovation in difficult circumstances
The pressure to innovate weighs heavily on manufacturers. Global competition – particularly from the east, fluctuating customer demand, an uncertain geopolitical landscape and the imperative to act sustainably have accelerated the need for smarter, more efficient operations. Digital technologies are a cornerstone of such efforts, but in many cases these do not match the core technology already in place. Legacy systems, incompatible with traditional IoT sensing or stuck with outdated protocols, pose a real challenge for manufacturing DT, specifically when concerned with the vital task of drawing data from the factory floor.
This is where network video data comes into its own. With the right analytics running on AI-capable on-board processors, cameras can interpret visual data and present actionable insights in real time. Even a completely disconnected system gains a measure of connectivity when monitored by a network video feed. Viewing cameras merely as operational tools underestimates their transformative potential. Today’s cameras are customisable and powerful sensors, active participants in the digital revolution, collecting millions of data points every second while providing the platform to analyse it.
Building a smarter workplace
For the manufacturing sector, the camera’s abilities apply directly to the task of building efficiency in many core functions – even those for which direct data feedback is not available or applicable. Visual analysis of production lines can help highlight blockages, throughput, or deviations in workflow and enable swift corrective action. Line analysis can also monitor product quality in real time, visually identifying defects or anomalies untraceable by the human eye. This ensures consistency and reduces waste.
IP video systems offer manufacturing facilities additional benefits when they act as a catalyst for process improvements. A well monitored production line can reveal production inefficiencies and highlight delays that might otherwise go unnoticed. Sustainability efforts gain a boost, with data from thermal cameras able to indicate areas of energy loss, supporting efforts to reduce waste. Cameras can even employ AI applications to monitor worker behaviour, particularly in hazardous areas, revealing unsafe practices which can be corrected with training intervention.
Safer and more secure
AI analytics running on the network edge contribute to the powerful role that video plays in ensuring workplace safety. Video, audio and thermal analysis can provide an early warning of indicators of machinery malfunctions like unusual heat, sound or vibration. Video analysis can spot potential hazards, or even watch for unsafe worker behaviour. Through automation operators can be alerted immediately of any potential issues and offered visual feedback of areas of concern.
All of this while cameras retain an essential role in the security function. An upgrade to higher resolution cameras means higher quality evidence, low-light cameras can further reduce energy use by requiring less environmental illumination, and the video management systems which back up today’s IP cameras give security operatives greater capabilities through a user-friendly back end. The ability to visualise and interpret what happens on the factory floor in real time is revolutionary. With modern camera technology, operators don’t just see what is happening, they understand it – and behavioural and object-oriented analytics help them interpret video footage fast.
An essential building block of DT
Above all, few components of DT are quite as scalable, versatile, and flexible in their integration as the network camera. The data cameras provide can integrate with existing IoT frameworks, cover as large or as small an area as is required, and grow to meet manufacturers’ needs as they change over time. Through AI and machine learning cameras can provide predictive insights, helping businesses stay one step ahead of inefficiencies or potential failures by predicting equipment downtime or workflow interruptions.
While there are huge benefits to building camera networks around existing processes, integrating IP video into one’s DT initiatives allows it to play a key role in innovative and transformative change. Video data supports greater profitability, stronger workplace safety, and untold efficiencies in production. It is a core technology, and those that embrace it will gain a competitive edge that allows them to adapt and thrive in an ever-evolving marketplace.
Discover actionable insights from video for industry:
https://www.axis.com/en-gb/solutions/industrial
