Manufacturing Automation – Open Source

Manufacturing Automation – Open Source

Especially true for SMEs but common in all manufacturing processes, the automation problem we are trying to solve today has already been solved yesterday, somewhere in another process, perhaps in another time and whether in our industry or a parallel industry which faced similar challenges.

Not necessarily a proprietary process or even something novel protected by IP, and perhaps even a simple obscure method long forgotten or replaced by advancements a couple of iterations ago and HIDING in plain sight to be used in our current application where it’s “just right”, if only identified.

Seemingly lost in all the advancements that established the “new way” of doing things that OBSOLETED the mechanism, method or embodiment along the way, revisiting it now in the new economic and technical contexts, will often yield economically VIABLE solutions.

After all, it’s all become “Open Source”, long ago!

What’s Old is New again

In combination with newer enabling technologies as needed, applying this old, proven and reliable tooling and/or method can yield a unique, previously untested permutation which not only solves the current problem but simultaneously does so with LOWER costs and is significantly SIMPLER, with all the RELIABILITY and support implications.

As such, the SCALABILITY of the solution will be relatively SMALL as it will be customized to the local SME process and provide a competitive advantage UNIQUE to its WORKFLOWS, operator SKILLS sets and physical CONSTRAINTS, which while maybe similar, will be different enough from any competitor’s process.

The repository of historical knowledge, ability to sift through the possibilities and even hands on experience with this “open source” technology is unlikely to be found within the SMEs own capabilities and is more likely to exist within the TOOLBOX of Systems Integrators who will have used this approach, perhaps long ago, and have now bypassed it as technology advances and market trends moved forward.

Perfectly RELIABLE, readily AVAILABLE and SIMPLE to understand, the “finds” in the open-source technical bins will be selected for their SIMPLICITY and low COSTS which reduce technical and financial RISKS, which are the two main drivers of SME automation HESITANCY and automation ADOPTION.

Timely Rethinking

More than just using hardware and tooling, two or three generations old, enabled by the latest precision control strategies … the drivers of RE-SHORING and LABOR SCARCITY may mean that this THIRD WAY, middle strategy can create an option between the Labor Intensive off-shore model and the Capital Intensive, Industry 4.0, lights out, domestic model, both INACCESSIBLE and IMPRACTICAL for SMEs both technically and financially … today or in the foreseeable future.

With the dual goals of Simplicity and Low Cost and done with INTENTION, this approach to new solutions for SMEs begins with the proposition that the system design starts with the lowest, “dumbest” mechanisms or technology and sequentially, selectively builds to higher levels of resolution, control and complexity, only IF and AS needed, thereby keeping both costs LOW and reliability HIGH.?

Simultaneously, not including any excess features or capabilities that add costs and complexity without adding value … often in the name of UNNEEDED “flexibility”.

This is accomplished by specifying machine elements which are common, and mass produced for other applications, making them very reliable and low cost, while simultaneously decreasing parts count as the ancillary components of “smarter” devices are simply not needed.

Reserving higher level intelligence components and mechanisms ONLY to where they are absolutely needed OR serve a specific purpose, without simpler alternatives and thereby minimizing complexity.

True Value

The true value of automation is in integration and combining of various methods, technologies and workflows into an economically efficient conversion of inputs to outputs in a specific manufacturing process and NOT in its expertise in this or that latest technology.? As such, it’s natural that trends and approaches will emerge from time to time in “the way things are done” … often driven by industry hype and unsubstantiated claims …. BUT ... perhaps it’s worth reexamining “the way things were done.”?

Regardless, the measure of whether a particular “way of doing things”, for automation in particular, has succeeded is to be measured in PRODUCTIVITY and Level of ADOPTION, for SMEs in particular.? Reliant of industry standard solutions which increasing cost more to acquire, deploy and sustain have proven to be less accessible with less adoption WHILE simultaneously the interest in automation by SMEs has never been higher!

So, what’s wrong?

Perhaps the answer is that the solutions offered are too expensive, too complex and not reliable enough for the financially and technically challenged SMEs!?

And, perhaps taking a step back both in the technology level used as well as de-featuring the solutions, can address both of these challenges.

After all, it’s all become “Open Source”, long ago!

Do you use "Open Source" solutions in your Automation?

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