Industry 4.0 is the main reason for the evolution of industries thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT), manufacturing systems that are hosted “in the cloud” and smart industry.
These tools help companies to monitor in an easier way and increase their production, so the introduction of the Internet in the processes of a company, will not only increase its productivity, but also its efficiency and the ability to adapt to the needs of the market.
In particular, the role of IoT in papermaking has gained relevance. In order to obtain the best possible performance, the paper industry is continuously improving its technology, introducing various systems, software and applications, aimed at optimizing plant performance, as well as establishing better control and measurement criteria.
In this sense, digital technology is being adopted by the paper, fiber and packaging industry, to carry out a series of changes that allow them to reduce costs, increase their productivity and demonstrate competitive advantages to customers.
Transformations in the paper industry thanks to smart technology
There are examples of how technology has generated transformations and benefits in the paper sector.
One of these is how Industry 4.0 has been used to collect real-time data on raw materials, the quantity and condition of trees, among other factors. This data can reveal the optimal time of harvest and transmit the information to the entire value chain, allowing decision-making and proper planning of processes.
Similarly, thanks to technology 4.0, a permanent connection can be established with suppliers, who could identify quality or material replacement problems by monitoring the production process, sales projections and inventories of a customer’s finished products.
In addition, operations with intelligent technologies also help logistics to be more organized and flexible, based on real-time information on the needs of shipments; This would increase the accuracy of shipments, optimize route planning and therefore reduce the number of claims.
Benefits of technology 4.0 in paper production
One of the many benefits of artificial intelligence used in the paper industry is related to the possibility of being used in maintenance, since the collection and analysis of own data allows to monitor performance and identify future failures through the use of sensors.
These industrial sensors detect subtle variations in temperature, vibration, sound, airflow among other aspects, sending alerts to maintenance teams and anticipating delays or unexpected stops of equipment and production.
Thanks to intelligent technologies and machine learning, integration and innovation processes can be given in the supply chain, which relate the internal information provided by maintenance and production, with that provided by all those suppliers that are part of the supply chain.
Inventory processes also benefit, as data analysis provides actionable information that facilitates order fulfillment, while helping to ensure critical parts and tools are in the right place when needed for repairs, reducing or eliminating waiting times or costly emergency services.
These improvements are reflected in the performance of the equipment and therefore in the quality of the products, taking into account that operators and technicians can keep the machinery running optimally, reducing errors and imperfections and adjusting product specifications better and better.
Outlook for the paper industry
The fiber, paper and packaging industry, despite having developed a strategic awareness around the role played by the Internet of Things, still has many areas of potential compared to other industries, such as aerospace or automotive.
This is why the projections allow to easily visualize the paper industry as an example of “intelligent ecosystem”, where all actors in the value chain will develop interconnected clusters, continuously sending and receiving information to each other, making companies more flexible to changing market circumstances and customer needs.
