| |November 20219PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE IS BECOMING IMPERATIVE FOR MANUFACTURERS ACROSS THE GLOBE. HOW SHOULD MANUFACTURERS DEVISE THEIR PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE STRATEGY TO REDUCE DOWNTIME AND ENSURE BUSINESS CONTINUITY?Industry 4.0 virtually eliminates downtime through predic-tive maintenance. The advanced technologies of industry 4.0 automate the collection and analysis of machine data, enabling predictive maintenance that anticipates and cor-rects potential issues and failures before they occur. With predictive maintenance there are lesser chances of unexpected failures. In addition, it helps manufacturers in avoiding costly repairs because usually the fault is detected and rectified before there is any severe damage to the ma-chine.As an example, in milling machines, spindles tend to break, leading to expensive repairs. But thanks to predictive maintenance, ultrasonic sensors collect data on each spin-dle, which is analyzed for any pattern that suggests a fragile spindle. From there, an alert flags the issue for scheduled maintenance.BY INTEGRATING VR WITH COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN, DESIGNERS CAN MAKE CHANGES TO THE PRODUCT BEFORE THE PRODUCTION BEGINS. HOW DO YOU SEE THE APPLICATION OF AR/VR IN THE ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY?In 2018, Flex introduced an augmented reality (AR) refer-ence design to reduce time to market for companies which are making AR devices for enterprise and consumer applica-tions. With the help of Flex AR reference design companies could significantly reduce product development costs and quickly scale up manufacturing.According to a new study by IDC, worldwide spending on augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) is forecast to accelerate out of the pandemic, growing from just over $12.0 billion this year to $72.8 billion in 2024. 3D Printing is bringing about a revolution in the man-ufacturing industry by enabling production anytime any-where. How do you see its application in the electronics manufacturing segment?3D PRINTED ELECTRONICS ARE WELL SUITED TO APPLICATIONS WHERE THERE IS A WIDE RANGE OF COMPONENTS THAT NEED TO BE MANUFACTURED AT SHORT NOTICE.3D printing can also reduce waste by recycling plastic and cut down on the wait time for replacement parts and trans-portation. Its implications for mass production are varied, making advancements possible in products ranging from toys to medical devices. In addition to these, additive man-ufacturing also offers many other benefits, including preci-sion material placement, significant time and cost savings, and the ability to decentralize the manufacturing of basic parts by providing services closer to end markets. These benefits allow for a vertically integrated supply chain in our operations. WHAT ROLE CAN TECHNOLOGY PLAY IN TRANSFORMING THE SUPPLY CHAIN IN ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY? HOW CAN MANUFACTURERS ACCOMPLISH IT TO OPERATE THEIR BUSINESS MORE EFFICIENTLY?There are technological developments that are bringing production and manufacturing closer to the end users. This is a shift that we can see happening where service is more preferred over products. In the market, there is an increased customer demand for customized products, and expecta-tions for faster product delivery. As the manufacturing com-panies are moving towards a regionally based supply chain, they are able to address these challenges. ROLE OF TECHNOLOGYThe strong influence of Industry 4.0 will aid in creating in-telligent supply chains by incorporating data analytics and IoT advancements into the supply chain. There are complex-ities that come with new technologies; hence it becomes im-portant for supply chains to maintain transparency. With the increase in near-real-time visibility of supply chain it will be easier to spot the abnormalities or any disruptions that could affect the supply chain.Flex's digital manufacturing system offers real-time data which allows the customers to improve on quality and reliability. This results in improving yield and reducing ramp costs via digital twins of physical factory operations. The in-house additive manufacturing services by Flex sup-ports in streamlining the prototype and product customiza-tion while reducing time and efforts. Flex has a proven track record of adjusting quickly to changing market dynamics enabled by its deep partnerships and sophisticated supply chain management tools and pro-cesses. COVID-19 showed us that it is no longer only about driving down costs and increasing efficiencies but also about ensuring reliability across the end to end value chain. As the world's complexities and uncertainties continue to grow, so do risk exposures. Ensuring end-to-end accountability and real-time asset monitoring is important, especially during current times. That is where Industry 4.0 comes into play.
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