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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Digital Transformation’s Impact on Industrial Machinery
The Digital Transformation’s Impact on Industrial Machinery
Modeling and simulation technologies are an instrumental part of the manufacturing design process, allowing for better processes, products, and systems that help lower costs.
These technologies are a key component of digital transformation; companies investing in them tend to be at the top of the industry in terms of performance, investment, and innovation.
Siemens’ integrated simulation solution brings together functions of design, validation, supply chain, and more to offer a cost-effective path to digital transformation. With over 50 years of experience in the industrial manufacturing software space, Siemens brings the expertise and knowledge to help manufacturers move toward the future of modeling and simulation.
Siemens’ integrated simulation solution brings together functions of design, validation, supply chain, and more to offer a cost-effective path to digital transformation. With over 50 years of experience in the industrial manufacturing software space, Siemens brings the expertise and knowledge to help manufacturers move toward the future of modeling and simulation.
The Digital Transformation’s Impact on Industrial Machinery
This webinar brings together experts from IndustryWeek and Siemens Digital Industries Software to discuss the challenges the industrial machinery industry is facing and how different software solutions can help companies succeed.
Speakers
Context
Experts from Siemens Digital Industries Software and Fathom discussed the challenges the industrial machinery industry faces and how software solutions can help companies succeed.
IndustryWeek conducted research on digital transformation in manufacturing.
Digital transformation—using digital means to improve business and system operations to lower costs and increase productivity—is a major part of the evolution of the manufacturing industry. In mid-2022, in partnership with Siemens Digital Industries Software, IndustryWeek conducted research on industrial manufacturers for its State of the Market Report: “Modeling and Simulation Technologies are Accelerating Digital Transformation.” The purpose of this research was to gain deeper understanding of where manufacturers are in the digital transformation journey, especially in modeling and simulation technologies.
Modeling and Simulation Technologies
Modeling and simulation technologies help manufacturers design, verify, and validate the intended function of a product or process with a virtual, non-physical model. Through these technologies, companies can:
Reduce costs
Experiment/test innovations in a low-risk/cost environment
Increase the quality and lifespan of products and systems
Accelerate time to market
Document and archive lessons learned
Researchers spoke with and observed respondents from a cross-section of manufacturers in North and South America, ranging in size and scope. Most companies fell in the manufacturing equipment and machinery, automation, motion products, and robotics spaces and had 1,000 or more employees.
“There’s a correlation between that digital transformation journey, modeling and simulation technology, and bottom-line organizational performance.”
– Brent Robertson, Fathom
Modeling and simulation technology in industrial manufacturing contributes to better performance.
In the past, industrial manufacturers used modeling and simulation technologies primarily to improve product quality and reduce time to market. As a result, technology providers focused their standard simulation offerings around pre-build validation capabilities.
In the future, companies are looking to bring simulation to the forefront of design and innovation, with 65% of respondents indicating that the use of and continued investment in modeling and simulation technologies was important or mission-critical. The research also found that higher-performing companies are farther along the digital transformation journey than their lower-performing peers. Modeling and simulation will work in tandem with operations to help businesses stay competitive. For example, the unique and emerging focus on system simulation will further enable digitalization for manufacturing companies.
In the future, companies are looking to bring simulation to the forefront of design and innovation, with 65% of respondents indicating that the use of and continued investment in modeling and simulation technologies was important or mission-critical. The research also found that higher-performing companies are farther along the digital transformation journey than their lower-performing peers. Modeling and simulation will work in tandem with operations to help businesses stay competitive. For example, the unique and emerging focus on system simulation will further enable digitalization for manufacturing companies.
Advances in system simulation technologies allow users to connect library components to create the architecture, combining electrical components with mechanical components, applying thermal physics principles, and considering concurrent performance of all.
With more than 5,000 validated libraries, Siemens system simulation technology uses an executable digital twin approach to enable users to prove the control strategy and actuation systems of a new or retrofit project. Performing a virtual commissioning reduces cost and resource risks inherent in physical commissioning. Those models can be embedded into the industrial edge to monitor the performance of the machine in operations and bring valuable information back to the designer, and to train operators before a physical machine arrives in-house.
With more than 5,000 validated libraries, Siemens system simulation technology uses an executable digital twin approach to enable users to prove the control strategy and actuation systems of a new or retrofit project. Performing a virtual commissioning reduces cost and resource risks inherent in physical commissioning. Those models can be embedded into the industrial edge to monitor the performance of the machine in operations and bring valuable information back to the designer, and to train operators before a physical machine arrives in-house.
Modeling and simulation technologies can help manufacturers ease supply chain challenges.
Global supply chain disruptions are ongoing, in terms of inventory availability and on-time delivery for manufacturers, parts suppliers, and partners. While supply chain was previously viewed as a purchasing function, today it is increasingly critical that suppliers become partners.
Modeling & Simulation
Reshoring
Competitive Advantage
Modeling & Simulation
Simulation and modeling tools can help support manufacturers and their supplier partners in working toward delivering on specifications by proving successes early on and allowing manufacturers to be in constant exchange and collaboration with suppliers. In this way, suppliers are incorporated into operations, and manufacturers can more closely manage supplier logistics and work around supply chain challenges in a faster, more efficient way.
Modeling & Simulation
Reshoring
Competitive Advantage
Reshoring
In part to manage supply chain issues, there is a trend toward reshoring, where companies bring production capacities closer to where they are being consumed. In the process of building out a new factory, manufacturers want to ensure they are taking advantage of every relevant automation capability to remain efficient and price-competitive. Modeling and simulation technologies provide excellent value in support of these goals.
Modeling & Simulation
Reshoring
Competitive Advantage
Competitive Advantage
Through the integrated scalable environment that Siemens offers, it is easy to connect the supply chain to share design and models both internally and externally with intellectual property protection in place. Connecting the design internally with simulation, automation, and manufacturing, then extending that connection with the supplier, combines the experience and knowledge of a specific technology to create a competitive advantage.
“This is the future that the digital journey can bring to the customers [and] to the market, just making the supply chain a more functional and efficient ecosystem.”
– Giulio Camauli, Siemens Digital Industries Software
In driving digital transformation, companies are investing heavily in cloud, SaaS solutions, and other advanced technologies.
Among the top internal challenges identified by survey respondents was access to workforce and technology infrastructure. Investing in cloud-based/SaaS solutions allows manufacturers to increase that access:
Reduce the total cost of ownership and capital expenses (e.g., licensing costs, computing resource consumption), lowering the barrier to entry.
Make adoption easier, as the skills requirements to learn and adopt the technology are less intensive.
Facilitate collaboration through ease of access. Technologies that enable modeling and simulation ranked among the top investments.
One
Reduce the total cost of ownership and capital expenses (e.g., licensing costs, computing resource consumption), lowering the barrier to entry.
Two
Make adoption easier, as the skills requirements to learn and adopt the technology are less intensive.
Three
Facilitate collaboration through ease of access. Technologies that enable modeling and simulation ranked among the top investments.
Modeling and simulation technologies enable multiple use cases.
Modeling and simulation technology is applied in use cases across a range of functions in manufacturing. Examples include:
Production and manufacturing
Modeling and simulation technology supports digitalization of the entire process of how a robotic arm functions, from the arm to the rest of the cell, including the speed and capacity at which goods will come in, and how the arm transitions from one step of the function to the next step.
Production and manufacturing
Process improvement
ESG
Process improvement
Where manufacturers already measure how operations are running with the aim of optimizing processes, integrating front-end models into the manufacturing execution systems allows companies to compare metrics with the intentions of the original design and make any adjustments to close gaps, such as a lower-than-expected throughput.
Production and manufacturing
Process improvement
ESG
ESG
As ESG requirements increase and intensify, leveraging simulation to make equipment more energy-efficient is a driver for adoption of simulation technology, as it allows modeling of and reporting on the environmental impact of the entire system.
Siemens fully integrates modeling and simulation throughout the product life cycle.
It is becoming critical for manufacturers to understand the key requirements they need to deliver for customers. Being able to drive those requirements throughout the manufacturing process and making them visible across the entire company requires a comprehensive and high-performing product life cycle management (PLM) system. A good PLM system will aid manufacturers in their digitalization journey, especially in the context of collaboration and achieving end goals.
Successful Simulation
Successful Simulation
Managing the requirements is the first crucial point, but bridging the requirements to physical functions is the second, and just as important, step. The translation of the requirements to functionality is fundamental to a successful simulation. To validate a digital twin, there must be a real target against which to calibrate the behavior of the model. Whether this is a product or a standard, the combination of simulation and testing provides value by enabling repetitive, expensive tests for both innovation and certification purposes at significantly lower cost.
Finding a Partner
Finding a Partner
When looking for a partner to help achieve these two goals, respondents are most interested in companies with industry expertise, cost-effective solutions, and proven results. As an industrial machinery company first and foremost, Siemens has the industry knowledge and expertise needed to help manufacturers on the digital transformation journey. And Siemens’ comprehensive solution provides all the necessary elements, rather than disparate point solutions, in one integrated environment, making it a cost-effective choice for manufacturing companies undertaking a digital transformation.
An Integrated Solution
An Integrated Solution
The integrated Siemens solution brings together physical and virtual sensors, allowing adoption of simulation into the design. By connecting simulation tools to CAD or PLM systems, results are tracked as new versions are tested, allowing reversion as needed and providing an audit trail for certification.
Additional Resources
The Digital Transformation’s Impact on Industrial Machinery
This webinar brings together experts from Industry Week and Siemens Digital Industries Software to discuss the challenges the industrial machinery industry is facing and how different software solutions can help companies succeed.
Watch WebinarOpens in a new window.The Digital Transformation’s Impact on Industrial Machinery
Experts from Siemens Digital Industries Software and Fathom discussed the challenges the industrial machinery industry faces and how software solutions can help companies succeed.
Download Summary PDFOpens in a new window.Modeling and Simulation Technologies are Accelerating Digital Transformation
This report provides a current glimpse of how industrial manufacturers are using modeling and simulation technologies and how your organization can also get the most out of these technologies as well.
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