Hardware and Software Safety Technology Strategies for Manufacturers

Breese’s advice is to always start with a solid foundation based on the cause and not the symptoms of any current issues. He recommends always looking at safety risk assessments tied to digital permissions first, because, if the risks are visible, manufacturers can apply the appropriate controls. This approach drives consistently safe work, with fewer or no incidents, and with the assurance that competent people are performing the work. 

Once the foundational base is in place, risk assessment results should drive decisions on plant data, work procedures, the need for robotics and any tie-ins with safety instrumented systems. 

Carlson adds that manufacturers can overcome many safety-related challenges by prioritizing a phased implementation of simulation software targeting a specific problem or a small number of initial use cases to provide the proof necessary to gain acceptance. Implementing a continuous training program that includes immersive virtual training using a digital twin of manufacturing systems is a proven way to further the adoption of these technologies to enhance safety, he said.

Concurring with the idea of testing out small use cases first, Fluke Reliability’s Anderson highly recommends pilot projects. “This approach makes the initial costs more manageable and allows for a smaller, more focused group of people to get familiar with the technology,” he said. “It also provides the technology provider an opportunity to train the team and demonstrate the value of the program on a smaller scale, which can serve as a steppingstone for broader adoption.”

Anderson added that a persistent issue manufacturers need to recognize when it comes to safety technology purchases is that ROI can be difficult to quantify. “Safety solutions prevent negative events before they occur,” he said, “making it difficult to measure ROI since these events may never materialize, leaving no direct data to prove the system’s impact. To address this, manufacturers should establish a baseline before implementing new technologies and measure performance over a defined period after deployment, such as three-month, six-month and annual measurements of system ROI. This approach enables a clearer understanding of the system’s effectiveness and the true ROI.”

GM’s safety success with simulation

To highlight the benefits of new safety technologies, Siemens’ Carlson referenced General Motors’ use of simulation to improve its manufacturing process design safety across physically separated teams. Here, GM is using Siemens Process Simulate manufacturing simulation software and immersive VR tech to improve collaboration across teams, virtually identify issues early and design safer workstations. 

Process Simulate is a 3D software platform for manufacturing process verification. It allows users to plan, simulate and validate human tasks as well as robotics processes throughout the product development lifecycle. 

The Global Ergonomics Lab in Manufacturing Engineering at GM conducted VR sessions using Process Simulate to immerse product and manufacturing engineers into their designs, providing visualization of diverse assemblies and operations in a 3D environment. The immersive studies evaluated human line of sight, accessibility and hand clearance during the vehicle development process for the design of safer workstations. 

The studies also increased collaboration between product engineering and manufacturing engineering to reduce late design changes in the product lifecycle. Reportedly, as a result of using Process Simulate software, GM was able to significantly reduce both costs and safety risks. 

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