This Column has always called for more assertive moves by our goverment. Prioritize or signal manufacturing fields so that Brazil can achieve levels of global competitiveness.
We received from Mr. Marcos Roveri the following report; “We have a candle factory in the city of Campinas, how can we know the level of automation we find ourselves in? He cites some pneumatic machines owned by the Company São Camilo.”
Yes, we know that our national industry needs to migrate to I4.0. Why is that? Because the government’s silence on an intelligent industrial policy and the race of developed countries implementing these facilities and reducing production costs with high quality opens an increasing distance between us.
But where are we? Or where each Brazilian segment is in the ring of the world competition? Yes, it is necessary to collect data on the different stages of automation and classify our level of development, we can certainly find national pearls, example: WEG, EMBRAER etc. However, our machines are on average 20 years of use.
For the industry in general we can position ourselves and classify our delay depending on what level we are at.
Level 1, is the factory floor (field level), here is the production itself, where the machines are located. These machines perform some kind of work, in automation or in industry I4.0 they are equipped with sensors that send signals so that motors, pipes, temperatures, pneumatic movements etc. are controlled.
Level 2, we are at the control level, we receive the inputs from the sensors and we control the machines, pneumatic pipes etc. This work is done by PLC – programmable logic controller, here are automated the functions to be performed by the machines, in addition to the PLC’s perform monitoring functions.
Suppose your plant has 16 engines, if these engines start all at the same time there will be a peak current at that moment of departure and the owner will pay for this peak, so it is critical that these engines depart with proper scaling, flattening the peak. The PLC’s will make these commands.
Level 3, here’s the supervisory control of the collected data. At this level we use SCADA – Supervisory Control And Data Aquisition, this stage allows us to control functions remotely. The interesting thing about SCADA is that it can control different parts of a process from a single location. Example, suppose an electrical power distribution network of a utility controlled by a single-room SCADA system identifying faults and oscillations throughout its electrical system spanning dozens of cities.
Level 4, deals with the level of planning, here is the already famous MES – Manufacturing Execution System control of processing from raw material, through manufacturing to logistics. This view will allow the owner or managers to correct deviations that are occurring in the process. These deviations, many of them, come from the interface with suppliers and goods issues to the market.
Level 5, ERP Enterprise Resource Planning, widely used in Brazil for more basic functions, such as billing control, sales, purchasing etc. through ERP we can check everything that occurs in the company, without having to use spreadsheets, or notes. Other ERP functions come from data collection in manufacturing, less common in small and medium-sized Brazilian companies.
Therefore, the differential of the developed countries in relation to us is in the implementation of these 5 levels. Does anyone in Brazil believe that simply with cheap labor and low education we will win in the world market? Or, are we more likely to lose the domestic market to them?
I take this opportunity to thank what I learned from the report received, that is, when the candle burns in its fullness and there is no left over of paraffin demonstrates that it is a purer product.
