PackIOT, Author at PackIOT

QWERTY Stuck In Time. Gesture, Voice And Brain: The Future Of Controls.

By Eduardo Binotto, Software Engineer/IoT Developer at PackIOT Much is discussed about artificial intelligence, different ways of communication, languages, and manners to provide interaction between machines and human beings. But if we think about it, there is one area that has not progressed that far: the way we type. Patented in 1878, the QWERTY keyboard has been the main input device for computers since the birth of computing, having even been digitized into modern devices like our mobile phones. So, chances are that we will be typing, one way or another, for a long time to come. But, as technology evolves, new ways to interact with systems arise, and it’s important to stay up to date and see what the future may offer in terms of Human-Machine Interactions. Voice control One of them that has been gathering traction in recent years is the Voice Control. Many computing devices today are capable of understanding speech in a way that they can easily control things with just a simple voice command. Although the hype, a survey showed that 46% of the respondents said that they have never used voice assistants, and another 19% rarely use, revealing that there is…

Packaging Jobs: 7 Free Ways To Find Your Next Position

Global Packaging Market was valued at $900 billion, half the size of the "shoes and apparel" market. Meaning: this is a huge industry and it has a lot of worldwide opportunities. Whether or not you're in this sector, looking for jobs in packaging can be a great career move. But, let's talk about this whole professional path. The first thing you should ask yourself is "why do I want a new job?" Although it sounds like a silly question, many people are not prepared to answer it. And have no question: the interviewers will try to find out what your current professional moment is (whether you want it or not). After, that initial stage, it would be great to be aware of two other important matters: What do you want from your career? What is your professional mood today? [You can find more tips on career management here] Are you ready to keep going? Next question on packaging jobs: where to start this search and where to find the best opportunities? Digital Maturity in the Packaging Industry Benchmarking Report: Download it now for free! 1 - Linkedin is a powerful tool to find packaging jobs Like Facebook,…

5 reasons why your packaging manufacturing factory should not have manual data inputs

Manual data entry is one of the biggest headaches in companies from different sectors. Manually processed tasks are more susceptible to human errors, which interfere directly with the performance of results. That is because inaccurate information hinders leaders in decision-making and can lead to catastrophic actions. In addition to these first points mentioned above, other numerous problems arise when manufacturing companies still use the manual method to collect, input, or store data. That's why our team of experts has created this guide with five reasons why you should not have manual data entry in your plant. 1. Manual data entry can drive to human errors As you might imagine, problem number one is related to human error. A natural feature of human beings is that we are never fully focused. For many reasons, we can be distracted when performing a task, commiting errors that can only be identified later when they have already hindered the progress of activities. And there are several factors that interfere with the probability of "human error" occurring. Either due to the complexity of a job, extensive working hours, excessive pressure from managers, among other reasons that lead the employee to be tired…

How to use Excel to run a production dashboard at your factory?

How do I craft a production dashboard in my plant using Microsoft Excel? Let's start from the very beginning. In another article, we told you about the pitfalls of managing your entire factory using excel. It happens that many companies want to start their digital transformation and need to start internally, with a pilot project, and then hire an appropriate tool. Digital Maturity in the Packaging Industry Benchmarking Report: Download it now for free! Our Chief Data Officer, Eduardo Weingartner, has shot a video on the subject. On it, you will see how to use your machine data to create a production analysis dashboard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKwnFykf_AE&feature=youtu.be To complement this, Eduardo mentions some tools that can be integrated into the dashboard in Excel. When to subscribe to a production analytics software? First of all, nice question! Excel has very sensitive limitations (like Human error/data reliability, Data availability/information flow, Dashboards, and views / Important data can be hidden) and at some point, you will no longer be able to get relevant insights. This will impair your decision making for operational efficiency and cost reduction. Three of the main times to look for a professional solution are when you need more…

7 talks on industrial IoT and digital transformation that you’ll probably like

Many professionals around the world want to improve on the industrial internet of things (IIot) concept but have difficulty finding quality content, with reliable channels. That's why we've decided to create a "mini curation". This way you can evolve your knowledge on the subject. And there's nothing better than learning more about IIOT using videos. Save the link to your browser favorites and watch it at your own pace. I'm sure it'll be worth it. At any time you can also check this other content: Glossary of Digital Transformation in Manufacturing: 40 terms you must know. I am pretty sure it could help. 1. How it Works: The Internet of Things and Manufacturing | IBM Think Academy Well, you are going to check by yourself, but it's always good to make things clear in advance: the first one is not a lecture. But this content is so simple and effective that we decided to list it here. This IBM video objectively explains several IoT applications for the industry. It is short and light. It's really worth watching. The Internet of Things for manufacturing is a platform that combines the capabilities of analytics, cognitive computing, and the IoT to…

Glossary of Digital Transformation in Manufacturing: 40 terms you must know

Since we have decided to discuss relevant terms and expressions, it is almost impossible not to start with this one: digital transformation. Well, digital transformation can be defined as a phenomenon that incorporates the use of digital technology to traditional problem solutions. Thus, it encompasses procedural changes in different spheres of society. This transformation modifies the paradigm of the use of technology, for example, in the following areas: government, economy, labor market, industry, future of work, education, medicine, arts, science, global communication, among others. We know it is hard to stay on top of everything since a lot of news (and new terms) are constantly coming out. That is why we have prepared this guide to help you get to know the main terms and expressions used within the 4.0 industry, internet of things and digital transformation contexts. I hope you make good use of them at your next meeting. 3D Simulation Products, materials or even processes that can be simulated in 3D: so that it is possible to analyze actual data and thus improve the models before implementation. Advanced Manufacturing It is the combination of automation in the industry, with advances in computing, connectivity and IT.…

Is it possible to hire a remote service from a software consulting company?

Hi, I hope you are doing well. Maybe you remember that another time we've talked about some traps to avoid when building your own production metrics system. As a helpful content blog (that's our main goal), we want to talk about other situations that you might face when trying to get more insights from your factory data: how to hire a software company? Or, more specifically, how to hire a remote software company? In 2017, an International Labor Organization study entitled "Working anytime, anywhere: The effects on the world of work" brought interesting data on remote work and how this model is changing the format for hiring companies, professionals and project teams. This study shows that in the US, 37 percent of all workers report that they "teleworked" in 2015, which rose slightly from 30 percent during the previous decade. This proportion is four times higher than 9% of workers who did so in 1995 (Gallup, 2014; Gallup, 2016). This guide wants to help you to be aware of different parts of the buying process, starting from the searching and finishing with the project deployment. What is a remote software company, in this context? We will consider…

Digital transformation for manufacturing: back to basics

Digital Transformation is one of the most highlighted buzzwords of this age (industry 4.0 age, we mean). But the concept can accept a lot of situations above its umbrella. Currently, digital transformation can be applied to a variety of things. The concept is broad and ends up being used by people, companies, governments, and organizations. An important report from PWC (with companies from 26 countries) shows a total of US$907 bn in annual digital investments - yearly. But, let's get started from the beginning. What is digital transformation Digital Transformation can be defined as a phenomenon that incorporates the use of digital technology to traditional problem-solving. Thus, it encompasses procedural changes in different spheres of society: this transformation modifies the paradigm of the use of technology, for example, in the following areas: government, economy, labor market, education, medicine, arts, science, global communication, among others. In addition, digital transformation has the capacity to increase integration between different sectors of society, being applied to issues related to public administration problems, for instance. Digital evolution index (Harvard Busines Review) The matter is so important that Harvard Business Review has created its own "Digital Evolution Index". This index is presented in…

Remote monitoring of machinery and devices is a groundbreaking opportunity for OEMs

Day after day, it's becoming easier to realize that IoT has been transforming the way manufacturers identify and solve problems on the shop floor. And one of the most important partners to achieve this goal is wireless solutions (such as wi-fi, 3g 4g, and 5g connections). After that, all the features of connected devices have been developing a fantastic job to increase productivity, reduce costs and make the life of machine builders easier on this matter. For them (and of course, their customers), decision making for machine maintenance is often based on a reactive, not proactive attitude. This means that hours or days are lost on both sides when a problem occurs, especially in a more distant factory. The above case is quite common and happens in most relationships between factories and OEMs. And this can become a real headache. But there are a few options to avoid this problem. For instance, by remotely monitoring different machine components, OEMs can detect excess vibration before it causes unplanned downtime (and this is a great operation advantage). Besides vibration, sensors also can send temperature, presence, and general performance data to a wireless logic controller or PLC for collection and…

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Graphic. (U.S. Air Force Graphic by Rosario "Charo" Gutierrez)

Coronavirus in Manufacturing: 3 reliable guides to help you dealing with Covid-19 (and keep people healthy)

This is a quick post. We've been seen a lot of companies having problems dealing with the Coronavirus Outbreak. And we are here trying to make our part in this difficult time, providing reliable information. After the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared pandemic status for Covid-19, many companies are already feeling the impact. And of course, the manufacturing industry has been affected by this crisis. Far beyond the economic impacts mentioned in the news, the most important thing is to take care of people's health, whether in the factory, the office or home. That's why we've selected 3 links from trustworthy sources to help you spread important information in your company on how to keep people healthy (or how to act in case someone tests positive for Coronavirus). We really hope that the guides can be relevant for you, your team, co-workers, and relatives. Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers (by CDC) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published a major document on this matter, and will update this interim guidance as needed and as additional information becomes available. CDC has been working across the Department of Health and Human Services and across…