Manufacturers have encountered significant challenges over the past few years due to fluctuating demand, disrupted supply chains, and evolving customer expectations. Looking ahead, the most successful industrial, automotive, and high-tech manufacturers will be those that effectively respond to the key forces transforming the industry.
The shift to Smart Factory isn’t just to drive growth, however. The benefits of taking your manufacturing business to the cloud include improvements to every aspect of your operations—including significant mitigation of the traditional hazards associated with manufacturing.
Here are several ways Oracle Cloud Infrastructure keeps your digital factory safe and secure.
Heat and fire hazards
It goes without saying that when you are melting down and processing metal or working with and/or around sources of intense heat, you need to be able to manage significant safety concerns.
Splashes and spilling of molten materials are only one form of risk. Simply working around high temperatures for extended periods of time (such as when operating kilns and furnaces) can take a toll on the body in the form of stress and exhaustion, or even heat stroke.
The extreme heat generated in factories and foundries can also result in explosions if equipment malfunctions or is improperly handled. Even the dust generated when grinding and polishing metal can explode if workers do not always take the proper precautions.
It is sobering to consider that just in the four-year period between 2011 and 2015, manufacturing facilities reported an average of more than 37,900 fires in total. A report by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) finds that these fires themselves averaged 16 deaths, 273 injuries, and $1.2 billion in property damage annually.
Even setting aside major accidents, in 2018 alone the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported 16,500 non-fatal thermal burns requiring time off work.
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) offers manufacturing businesses numerous direct solutions for managing heat and fire hazards in their facilities. Internet of Things (IoT) integration shines here since OCI can connect with IoT sensors that monitor the factory’s temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors.
Businesses can also configure OCI to alert safety personnel and management in the event of dangerous conditions; for example, if the factory temperature exceeds a certain safe limit. OCI even integrates directly with automated fire control and cooling systems to ensure an immediate response.
Manufacturers will never be taken off-guard and can make adjustments on the fly to ensure safe working conditions in real time.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is an issue every business has to face, and manufacturers, in particular, must be careful of protecting valuable data that include proprietary trade secrets and other forms of intellectual property key to their strategic growth and competitive advantage in the market.
Cyber-attacks can take numerous forms, from phishing emails that target employees (often impersonating a boss, for example) to standard malware, ransomware, and network intrusions attempting to access confidential data or otherwise disrupt operations.
However, given that manufacturers depend heavily on third-party supplier relationships, hackers will sometimes target any of these suppliers who have a less secure infrastructure to gain a “back door” to your factory’s networks and data. Even if your data is not compromised, these attacks can lead to loss of access and extended downtime while you try to fix the problem.
And it seems that cybersecurity risks are only on the rise. A 2021 report by the cybersecurity firm Dragos revealed that ransomware incidents targeting industrial organizations increased by 500% from 2018 to 2020. It is clear why cyber incidents overall constitute the largest risk to manufacturing businesses, with the threat of theft, downtime, and regulatory fines over and above financial loss.
OCI mitigates cybersecurity risks from the ground up, starting with fine-grained access control to ensure that only authorized users have access to critical systems and data. Multi-factor authentication (MFA), single sign-on (SSO), and role-based access control (RBAC) can enforce the least privilege principle, ensuring users only have access to the resources necessary for their role.
At-rest and in-transit Data Encryption ensures data is always protected using industry-standard protocols and algorithms. As an additional layer of security, manufacturing businesses can manage their encryption keys using the OCI Vault service.
Built-in Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection safeguards against large-scale network attacks, while integration with tools such as Oracle Cloud Guard continuously monitors configurations and activities for potential security risks.
And if the worst should happen, business owners can breathe more easily knowing that OCI includes comprehensive backup and disaster recovery solutions. This will allow normal operations to bounce back with minimal impact even in the event of a cyber-attack.
Machinery and equipment
A manufacturer’s machinery and equipment pose a double risk. Much like with issues of fire and intense heat, heavy industrial machinery can be a safety hazard if malfunctioning or improperly used.
But as the business also depends on production machinery, compromised equipment can also create production bottlenecks or otherwise hold up routine operations, particularly if the piece in question needs to be repaired or replaced.
Properly training all personnel on the safe use of equipment significantly mitigates the risk of injury. But it is still important to be aware of where one may safely stand relative to a machine in operation, for instance, to avoid “pinch” and “nip” points where moving parts can trap and crush body parts.
Even with the most rigorous training, however, all equipment eventually becomes fatigued and requires maintenance to ensure its safe, optimal functioning. As noted above, OCI integrates with IoT sensors. In addition to monitoring temperature and other environmental factors, these sensors can track a machine’s key parameters such as pressure, vibration, and operational status.
Over time, these sensors collect data and can indicate any small anomalies or deviations in your equipment’s operation. This lets you catch safety issues with your machines before they even become issues.
OCI also features significant machine learning capabilities that can be applied to predictive maintenance models and leveraged to forecast and avoid equipment failure. This includes condition-based maintenance, whereby OCI triggers maintenance activities based on the current condition of the equipment (rather than by a pre-set schedule).
OCI further enables the creation of digital twins, which is a virtual replica of your factory and all its equipment. The digital twin simulates the operation of your factory under various conditions, which allows you to identify safety issues with your machines without risking physical injury or damage.
These virtual environments have numerous applications, including personnel training and effective emergency protocol development.
Environmental risks
Even without addressing greater issues of sustainability, manufacturers have always dealt with strict regulations designed to mitigate the potential impact of their operations on the environment.
This is obvious enough when you consider the use of toxic chemicals in many production processes, for instance, or the importance of properly storing and disposing of industrial waste. Accidents like chemical spills can have a disastrous effect on the local ecosystem and community, in addition to being financially catastrophic for the business.
At the same time, as manufacturing businesses grow and expand their market reach, they must deal with an increasing number of environmental regulations from varying regions and countries. OCI simplifies all this by automatically documenting environmental data and mitigation measures, making it much easier for businesses to remain compliant.
But on the operational level, OCI can analyze your company’s manufacturing processes and assess the various impacts each has on the environment. It becomes much easier to optimize production processes and minimize sources of pollution.
When incidents do occur, OCI can track and manage them to ensure everything is documented, investigated, and resolved. OCI performs a root cause analysis on any incidents so that businesses can identify issues before they become problems. It also integrates with your existing Environmental Control Systems to give you greater control over your entire facility.
If you would like to know more about what OCI can do for your manufacturing business, be sure to check out our new ebook, The Rise of Digital Manufacturing and learn how Syntax’s OCI services can help your business fully leverage its capabilities.