3D Laser Scanning Services: Creating the ‘Factory of the Future’
Accenture Collaborates with Mars
Accenture has joined its efforts with Mars (a giant in the industries of food, confectionary, and pet care products and services) to revolutionize its global manufacturing operations. Accenture plans to achieve this using artificial intelligence, cloud, digital twins (including 3D laser scanning services), and edge technology.
Accenture and Mars have been testing digital twins in their manufacturing operations since late 2020. Mars Research is using digital twins to optimize production processes and equipment performance.
The company’s manufacturing plants will be equipped with the technology which enables them to simulate adjustments before allocating time for actual tests of product quality in real-time as it happens instead of relying on previous data from simulations or other sources.
3D Laser Scanning Services Are Increasingly Being Used to Create Digital Twins
A digital twin is a virtual copy or replica of a physical object or system. By digitally capturing the data points of an object, it’s possible to create a 3D model that can be used for simulations and analysis. This technology is extremely useful for businesses that need to test products before they’re released or for developing new manufacturing processes.
Digital twins can also be used to monitor the performance of physical objects in real time. This concept which utilizes 3D scanning services, is becoming increasingly important for companies such as Accenture and Mars to move towards a more data-driven world. As 3D laser scan technology becomes more advanced, the potential applications for digital twins will continue to grow.
Mars is working with Accenture to give their factory line operators real-time insights into current and predictive performance. They aim to apply it for dozens of use cases over three years, giving the company an edge in production efficiency.
In the next two years, Accenture and Mars will introduce a new cloud platform that can be used for manufacturing applications. This venture aims to create the “Factory of Tomorrow” by layering AI on top hardware capabilities to make their operations more efficient: with automation tools installed remotely (such as robots).
The Vice President and Global CIO at Mars, William Beery, said that the company’s collaboration with Accenture coupled with their partnership with Microsoft enables them to scale digital twin technology, which uses 3D laser scanning services technology as part of the process to create a digital twin. He further stated that the aim was to prepare the company’s manufacturing operations to fall in line with the future of work.
Accenture has been named Microsoft’s 2022 Manufacturing & Supply Chain Partner of the Year. With cloud, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities as well as supply chain knowledge that extends across all major industries, including automotive, the company also plans to work closely with Microsoft to actualize the potential of Azure.
Simon Osborne, the managing director at Accenture, leading the digital twin work (including 3D laser scanning services technology) with Mars, said that the scaling of the technology and speed across Mars are some of the most important factors that set this project apart.