OEMs Go Beyond the Machine to Take On Skills Gap

Digital transformation is no longer for early adopters only. IIoT technologies are rapidly going mainstream. According to recent research, about one half of industrial companies have embarked on a transformation journey – and more companies are ramping up investments in more types of digital tools.

But as manufacturers integrate digital technology into their plants, finding the right people with the right skills to implement that technology – and keeping them on the job – is an ongoing challenge.

How does this impact OEMs? What new digital opportunities are they exploring to address the skills gap and add value to their offerings?

To find out, we gathered leading machine builders for our OEM Forum during Automation Fair. Here are key takeaways from the event featuring representatives from Aagard, Gencor Industries and BID Group.

Better Ways to Capture and Transfer Machine Knowledge

Not so long ago, manufacturers could rely on operators working on a specific machine or line for years – and in many cases, decades. Those days are over.

“I’m lucky if I go into a plant and see the same operator who was there 6 months ago,” said Jonas Capistrant, application engineering manager, Aagard. “How do we bridge the training gap and onboard people to run our packaging solutions in those 6 months?”

Steve Ramsey, vice president of engineering & technology, Gencor Industries, noted a similar issue in the transportation and construction sector, where operators also tend to be less experienced and turnover is high. At the same time, the new U.S. infrastructure bill will likely mean more business for the company’s customers.

“The question is, what tools can we provide that will make it easier to onboard a new operator – or simplify maintenance procedures?” Ramsey said.

Like many OEMs, the panelists are exploring augmented reality (AR) and other digital tools to replace or support traditional training methods. For example, this AR platform is one way to capture and share step-by-step procedures and best practices – and upskill workers quickly.

“It’s about how to get training down to the operator at the point of use,” Capistrant said. “When the operator is happy, and they know what they are doing – the machine runs better.”

Moving Toward More Autonomous Operation

IIoT platforms and advanced technologies have also enabled OEMs to build more complex automated equipment that ultimately reduces labor requirements and related costs.

For example, BID Group, a global leader in wood processing, has applied new technology to replace multiple auxiliary machines with equipment that essentially transforms logs to lumber on a single pass.

“A traditional sawmill would require about 250-275 people to run,” explained Steven Hofer, executive vice president, strategy & business development, BID Group. “What we offer today is an operating environment where you’ll need about 115 workers. We’ve dramatically changed the human capital requirement through highly automated processes.”

At Aagard, the tight labor market has made it easier for end users to justify additional expense for more automated machine features.

“For example, we’re partnering with our customers on automatic machine loading,” Capistrant said. “The ROI has changed because of the labor market.”

While panelists agree people will likely always be part of the equation for safety and maintenance, autonomous operation is a real possibility for some applications in the not-too-distant future.

“Certainly, we’re driving down the path toward an autonomous operating facility, where maybe the lights come on when a motor needs to be changed, but otherwise is purely autonomous.” said Hofer.

Supporting the Machine Lifecycle. Driving Aftermarket Value.

OEMs are also focusing on ways to use digital technology to improve maintenance – and support their equipment throughout the lifecycle.

“We want to have greater visibility into the entire asset lifecycle of our equipment, so we can proactively monitor and engage on service calls,” Hofer said. “We can’t drive what we want to achieve aftermarket without having visibility into our assets.”  

The panelists also believe that as opportunities for aftermarket value expand, the relationships between OEMs, end users and automation suppliers will become more aligned and more embedded.

“The aftermarket piece is where we’ll see a continued evolution of our relationship with Rockwell Automation and other suppliers – involving them in the whole asset lifecycle,” Capistrant said.

Capistrant added: “We know the equipment best. We designed it. We installed it. We commissioned it and are helping maintain it. So having linkages with our key suppliers will continue to be very important.”