Cloud technology is widely used in a variety of industries. Although some sectors adopted it relatively recently, the companies within them still see substantial positive results. The industrial machinery and components (IM&C) industry is a prime example of an area where cloud computing opens up new possibilities for the businesses that use it.

Improved Real-Time Data Exchanges

A global report about the state of the industrial machinery sector indicates it is flourishing. One of the reasons is that companies in the business have started using cloud technology in conjunction with other emerging technologies, such as Internet of Things (IoT) sensors. Then, the products containing those parts can communicate with each other and send data to the cloud.

With such an arrangement, industrial machinery companies get up to the minute details about the location of various parts within factories, whether supplies run low and other crucial specifics, all mentioned on convenient dashboards.

Fewer Machinery Breakdowns

Some of the current use cases for cloud technology in the IM&C industry relate to predictive maintenance. A number of industrial factories might have dozens of pieces of heavy-duty equipment, each one with hundreds of components that could stop working.

Statistics indicate that the average cost for five minutes of downtime is $110,000. In addition, the amount could be substantially more in certain industries that rely on industrial machinery. Adopting cloud technology is a money-saving move for IM&C companies. Internal sensors can transfer data to the cloud that indicates a machine isn't as productive as usual, which could mean a crucial part is about to fail.

Moreover, a cloud-based database could keep track of when parts get replaced and how often they typically last. Then, companies save money because they aren't universally replacing parts due to assumptions that they'll likely break soon. They can look at historical data and see which components genuinely need changing to keep machines up and running.

Cloud technology benefits manufacturing not only due to the sheer amounts of data it can store but because, when used in combination with big data interfaces, managers and other executives can extract more meaningful data than they could without such advancements. Then, IM&C companies remain competitive in a challenging marketplace.

Reducing Testing and Calibration Times

The IT sector enjoyed significant advantages thanks to the versatility of cloud computing. For example, companies can offer their applications in the cloud, allowing authorized parties to access them from wherever they are in the world. Companies can also track which products customers like best, then adjust their manufacturing timeframes accordingly.

However, many of the use cases for cloud technology relate to actions that occur before products ever leave factory floors and get shipped to customers. In one instance related to industrial machinery, a company making mobile hydraulic pumps utilized machine learning algorithms to reduce testing and calibration time by 35 percent.

The machine learning model got smarter over time and predicted test outcomes. It also highlighted bottlenecks in testing processes, giving company leaders the data needed to eliminate them.

Due to the ease of access provided by cloud computing, entities in the IM&C industry with multiple locations across the country or the world can submit testing reports to other branches. Then, the respective individuals at corporate headquarters can see which facilities test their products before distribution most efficiently. After pinpointing reasons for the increased productivity, individuals could apply new techniques across all locations simultaneously.

Enhanced Uses for Robots and Cobots

The IM&C industry is familiar with using robots to maintain high levels of output. Recently, collaborative robots - cobots - have become extremely popular because they work alongside humans to augment the tasks people can achieve on their own. Cloud-connected robots and cobots can communicate with each other even when they aren't next to each other.

Forward-thinking representatives at IM&C companies could then sync their robots and cobots to collaborate regardless of the distance between them. That capability creates profitable options, especially if space limitations require businesses to space out their robots and cobots on the factory floor because of other equipment taking up excessive space.

Moving to the Cloud Helps IM&C Companies in Various Ways

The information you've just read emphasizes why brands in the IM&C sector shouldn't delay transitioning to the cloud or at least strongly considering. Clearly, cloud computing allows benefits the industry in ways that aren't otherwise possible.

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