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· Before we talk about what the Saw Operator i4.0 would look like lets compare and contrast the different saws and operators we have looked at:
o What comparative value does each position bring to an employer/company?
§ How much can an employer/company afford to pay an i1.0/i2.0/i3.0 Saw Operator?
For the Handsaw and the Semi-Automatic saw operators, very little specialized knowledge is required to operate whereas the Automatic saw requires training and basic understanding of a system. Because of this the operator of a Hand saw and the Semi-auto saw can be expected to be compensated about equally if their role is just as a saw operator.
The Hand saw and Semi-auto saw have their applications though. For smaller operations that don't require high output the hand saw and semi automatic saw can be well suited. Because they don't require a high level of training, the operator of a these saws can also be assigned and trained for other tasks and responsibilities.
The Automatic saw on the other hand requires a bit of training but instead of needing constant input from a human to accomplish work it only needs initial setup and occasional supervision to add more material to be processed. This gives the operator of the automatic saw the opportunity to take on other tasks that may be useful in the manufacturing system.
Comparing metrics
Note that the Hand saw times are for a single cut.
The Semi-Auto saw times are for two cuts.
The Automatic Saw times are for five cuts.
The biggest take away from this exercise is the performance of the Automatic saw.
The setup took almost 25 minutes, but the five cuts that it made were made more than a minute faster than the handsaw's single cut.
Fatigue is also an issue with the Hand saw that will degrade cut accuracy and increase time needed for subsequent cuts.
Hand Saw
The Hand Saw's ability to produce repeatable accurate cuts is based almost entirely on the operator's capability.
Semi Auto Saw
The highlight of the Semi-Auto machine is the ability to produce high quality cuts with a high degree of precision
Auto Saw
For the cuts produced by the Automatic Saw the cuts were very repeatable with little operator input.
Saw Operator i4.0
· What would an Industry 4.0 (i4.0) Saw Operator job look like:
o What technology/technologies would it incorporate, how, and why?
Several different emerging technologies in industry can be used in by the i4.0 saw operator.
Internet of things, Robotics/Automation and System Integration are all i4.0 technologies that will lend themselves well to the Saw Operator of future industry.
Internet of things would allow the saw to speak to other parts of the material handling system and make adjustments based off of feedback from other portions of the manufacturing process.
Robotics/Automation would give the saw autonomy to make the adjustments to itself. This has several applications such as material cutting optimization; greater ability to cater to customization; as well as reduced labor costs.
System Integration would be a highlight for the i4.0 saw in that it is usually the first step in processing a material to create a product.
o What benefits/functionality would this technology add?
In a system that requires a saw operator i4.0, the Human interaction with the process will be quite low.
Much of the work will be automated and interconnected through an internet.
Potential for this is quite vast with a single person being capable of monitoring an entire manufacturing system. Automation can handle and load raw stock material; give feedback on outputs and make adjustments without he need of any human input.
o What would the metrics look like for this:
§ Setup Time:
Initial setup time depending on the operation could have the potential to be very long. For fully automated manufacturing systems that have several integrated steps, planning and set up could end up taking months.
Once a i4.0 system is established and is fully operational, setup could be very quick, taking only minutes to give the system requested measurements and inputs.
§ Cycle Time:
Where the Saw Operator 4.0 will really shine is in Cycle time. Time expectations for material processing in to be calculated in minutes to seconds or even fractions of seconds.
§ Post-Processing Time:
As the accuracy and quality of cuts produced by a Saw Operator are very high, the post processing required to bring the material to a desired finish will be reduced dramatically.
o What value does this position bring to an employer/company?
§ How much can an employer/company afford to pay an i4.0 Saw Operator?
I feel as a business venture the i4.0 Saw Operator is best setup for a contract system where businesses would have a scalable "Cutting system" installed into their manufacturing operation that would be designed around the goals of that specific system.
The Industry 4.0 technologies of Internet of Things; System Integration; and Automation would allow for systems to be operated and maintained from virtually any physical location that connectivity is available. This would mean less human interface with the manufacturing process with the real possibility of reducing costs as well as an operation that could run continuously.
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