Amid a global rise in smart factories that form part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), industrial equipment supplier Atlas Copco South Africa is taking its vision of a smart factory to a higher level.

The company calls its concept the “Smart Connected Assembly – Powered by Data” and says it addresses challenges faced by manufacturing companies of how best to use the data collected in their production processes.

The concept shows how to generate value by using data that is gathered from Atlas Copco’s smart tools and solutions at each phase of a customer’s process – from design, to prototype to assembly.

For example, automotive original-equipment manufacturers and assemblers can use Atlas Copco’s smart connected system to determine whether bolts have been tightened correctly and can digitally reflect on all information issuing from processes within a factory, should a fault arise from the customer’s side once the vehicle is in use, ensuring both traceability and reliability from the manufacturing or assembly stage.

A data-gathering system is especially helpful to large assemblers, as human error is more likely to creep in at facilities where 680 vehicles are assembled in a day, with thousands of bolts that need accurate tightening.

“In the past two years, 4IR has been high on the agenda of the global manufacturing industry. It is estimated that, in 2006, around two-billion Internet of Things devices created data, while, in 2020, the figure is projected to be around 200-billion devices.

“However, manufacturing companies are facing challenges to use all the data they collect as they lack the operational analytics capabilities to integrate that data into their operations,” Atlas Copco said during a media tour of its head office in Boksburg.

The company added that, although South Africa had lagged behind in the rise of smart factories compared with the rest of the world, the company was confident that its concept would be adopted in more factories within the next few years.

Atlas Copco on Wednesday hosted a media tour to convey the company’s new corporate brand message – “The Home of Industrial Ideas”.

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Atlas Copco was established in 1873 in Stockholm, Sweden, with its stock exchange listing in the same country.

Its history in South Africa started with two brothers establishing a manufacturing company called Gebroeders Delfos, in 1892, which produced a variety of goods such as printer process blocks and electric lighting plants. Delfos later formed an alliance with Swedish company AB Atlas Diesel in 1946 and a decade later became Delfos & Atlas Copco.

Atlas Copco South Africa, in 2014, moved to a multipurpose facility, in Boksburg, comprising a 6 100 m² office administration building, a 9 600 m² distribution centre and warehouse, 7 600 m² of workshops and 1 100 m² in training facilities, known as the academy.

The company in November 2017 streamlined its business into three main divisions: power technique, compressor technique and industrial technique.

The power technique division offers innovative air (compressors), power (generators), light (light towers) and flow (pump) solutions to deliver optimal operational performance and enhanced productivity for customers, at the lowest total cost of ownership.

“It is widely accepted that portable energy is vital on job sites where the stable and reliable supply of air, power, light and flow is essential. Our world-class product suite of compact mobile compressors, generators, light towers and pumps feature clean drive technology, connectivity and versatility to meet a wide variety of applications in industries such as construction, quarrying, manufacturing, oil and gas, as well as exploration drilling,” said Atlas Copco South Africa portable products business line manager David Stanford.

The compressor technique division sells industrial compressors, expanders, blowers, boosters, air dryers, coolers, nitrogen generators, filters, energy recovery as well as monitoring and control systems.

“These solutions address across the board efficiencies in energy consumption, operating pressures, flow rates, air quality, delivery systems and service,” noted compressor technique business area GM Pieter van Wyk.

He added that, with such an extensive product range, the company is geared to cater to virtually every customer requirement, from a small operation or workshop to a highly sophisticated plant that requires compressed air 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The industrial technique division designs and manufactures around 4 000 types of advanced industrial power tools, bolt tightening solutions, air motors, airline infrastructure, hoist and trolleys, assembly systems, software and location and positioning solutions, underpinned by superior service support to the mining, oil and gas and automotive sectors.

“Atlas Copco has galvanised engineering and manufacturing excellence, environmental consciousness, expert service and customer-centricity into holistic solutions.

“We are ‘The Home of Industrial Ideas’ and will continue to enhance our technology, product and service suite in order to remain customers’ preferred productivity solutions provider,” said MD Frans van Niekerk.