Having the latest technology in place can instantly become a key differentiator for a manufacturer. However, such investments require fully understanding the end goal before making the commitment.
Of course, technology is powerful once combined with the business expertise. As part of Unilever’s ongoing digital transformation, two powder towers in Indaiatuba, Brazil and Guayas, Ecuador are now part of the digital factory environment. These intelligent towers can now operate remotely, meaning staff can safely oversee the manufacturing process while working from home.
During this implementation, the strengths of process engineering, analytics and automation were very well synchronized in order to develop a final solution that fits to the operation’s needs. Finally, the ability to operate the intelligent tower and adjust operating parameters was placed back into the hands of the experts on site,.
Sarah Loftus, digital engineering director at Unilever tells IndustryWeek, “The key to implementing this project effectively was