Digital transformation means a new kind of machinery with the ability to share data to the edge and the cloud. But change comes slowly and usually in waves. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are literally bringing transformation to the plant floor in the machines they build.
Three OEMs from different industries shared their organizations’ progress with industrial transformation during the OEM Forum at Automation Fair 2021 this week in Houston. “The wood-processing industries in North America have traditionally been slow adopters of new technologies,” said Steven Hofer, executive vice president of strategy and business development at BID Group, which provides integrated, automated equipment and solutions for sawmill customers. “We have 14 manufacturing locations around North America with 1,615 highly trained and motivated employees, including 183 engineers and technical staff. We’re booking equipment into late 2024 and 2025, so we know what that equipment looks like and what the materials look like.”
BID Group has developed Oper8, a purpose-built IIoT solution that gathers and analyzes data to monitor the health and operation of its machines.
