Industry 4.0

Embracing The fourth industrial revolution

Huge advances in digital technology are revolutionising every sector of industry, from manufacturing to construction and logistics. Modern businesses need to keep up with the rapid pace of developments to stay competitive and streamlined. But you don’t need to be an expert in industrial digital technologies to stay at the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution.

Net4 partners with leading technology providers to build world-class tech into our automation and monitoring solutions and connect your plant and systems safely, securely and at scale. We combine our cutting-edge expertise in sensors, video analytics and 5G networks behind a simple, user-friendly interface to offer you a robust and future-proof solution tailored to the specific needs of your business.

Optimise your operations to cut costs and boost productivity

Reduce maintenance costs and prevent unscheduled downtime

Increase precision, minimise human error and upskill staff

Make the most of highly skilled staff and connect them to people and sites anywhere in the world

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is still in its nascent state. But with the swift pace of change and disruption to business and society, the time to join in is now.

Source: Gary Coleman, Global Industry and Senior Client Advisor, Deloitte Consulting

Net4 Solutions for Industry 4.0

Asset Monitoring

Net4 solutions connect and monitor your key business assets continuously and in real time – be it stock, plant, fuel, waste, systems or processes – to deliver deliver powerful, accurate insights that drive efficiency, save money and reduce your carbon footprint.

From telling you whether your plant is in the right place and working properly, to telling you when stock is running low or waste is running high, we can help you optimise your purchasing, layout and operations to move closer to a cost-effective just-in-time, just enough approach.

We even include remote assets in our monitoring solutions, reducing unnecessary offsite visits and automatically planning the most efficient route and schedule for necessary ones.

Predictive Maintenance

Unscheduled shutdowns damage your business, while unnecessary maintenance increases your costs. By analysing a large volume of performance data in real time and comparing it against known failure points and ‘normal’ performance parameters, Net4’s systems can pre-empt breakdowns and detect deterioration long before it is noticeable to the human eye so you can plan ahead with confidence, optimising your maintenance schedule around planned shutdowns and sourcing costly parts just before you need them.

Process Automation

Net4 have the expertise to combine Artificial Intelligence and sensor technology to automate a huge array of tasks. Using our solutions to run the more mundane elements of your operations increases accuracy, output and running time while freeing your staff for the more skilled tasks. Cost savings from automation mean lower prices, allowing you to compete in domestic markets in this time of uncertain imports.

Your workforce can benefit from more highly skilled and less hazardous jobs. For example, fully automated cranes operate to 3 or 4mm accuracy, running 24/7 to complete tasks faster under the direction of skilled-up operators who can manage multiple machines remotely in safety and comfort.

QUALITY CONTROL

We offer continuous, real-time quality monitoring solutions able to detect anomalies invisible to the human eye. These can be customised to your products and programmed to automatically alert you (and halt production if you choose) whenever pre-defined quality thresholds are breached. By monitoring the decline in quality caused by wear and tear on machine components over a production run, our systems notify you when it is time to conduct maintenance or replace parts, optimising running costs while making sure your customers are satisfied.

INDUSTRIAL CONNECTIVITY

Successful integration of industrial digital technologies relies on fast, reliable connection in every corner of your plant. We offer robust, managed, solutions with high-quality service and 100% coverage over the 5G cellular network. Our high-capacity, instant connection allows you to run highly-time-sensitive operations with zero risk of lag on signals and data feeds.

Derisk your real-time operations to take advantage of the latest automation technologies secure in the knowledge that, should an anomaly occur or a component be missing or incorrectly positioned, your system will detect it and stop the line in real time before any harm can be done.

AUGMENTED REALITY

Advances in technology that overlays computer information on human vision have created exciting possibilities in training, quality control and remote operations. Net4 can guide you through these possibilities, from goggles that train your staff in real-world situations to gloves that allow remote operation of robot arms in hostile or inaccessible environments.

In combination with cameras and sensors, our wearable tech can identify what its wearer picks up and tell them if it is the right tool or component and how to use it. We can connect an expert anywhere in the world to staff on site who can act as their eyes and hands on the ground to successfully diagnose a problem and implement highly technical solutions. This cuts the time and cost involved in responding to issues and allows one engineer to manage multiple sites in real time from a central office, making it easier to attract talented and experienced staff.