Digitization – yes, where it makes sense
In plant construction and operation the potentials offered by digitization are not always fully exploited – according to a current assessment by the leading German research facility Fraunhofer-Institut für Fabrikbetrieb und -automatisierung IFF (Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF). Although many manu-facturers and operators of plant and machinery apply digital technologies, it is reported that they often employ them only as insular solutions. However, to take advantage of the entire digital potential, effective networking of the existing insular solutions is necessary.
The plant and machinery used in precast construction also create and collect vast amounts of data. These are partly used only by individual machines, and partly for optimizing the entire production process. More potential is available in many places but, according to the same industry specialists, every plant should individually ex-amine how far digitization in a company can go and – in one or the other area of production, must go – where it is feasible and also where it makes sense.
A new digital development should well be of major interest for concrete products production. The software architects at the German software developer OGS developed, jointly with industry partners, a form management system that is able to track the position of a form and show its maintenance status. Read about it in the article beginning on page 50.
The value added through digital processes is also a topic for logistics. Fleet management solutions integrate communication, navigation, order and working time recording functions in a system. Beginning on page 62 we compare different GPS-based systems.
