Helping manufacturers simulate and manage employee exposure risks while enabling productivity
Recently, Siemens Digital Industries (Siemens) announced a new solution that enables companies to quickly and efficiently model how employees interact in proximity to one another, and how it may impact the production line and plant design. The new solution also enables organizations to build an end-to-end digital twin to simulate worker safety, iterate on and optimize workspace layouts, and validate safety and efficiency measures to help future-proof production lines.
Siemens developed the solution using the following products:
- Siemens’ SIMATIC Real Time Locating Systems (RTLS)
- Siemens’ Trusted Traceability Application on MindSphere
- Siemens’ Tecnomatix Process Simulate and Plant Simulation
As part of this solution, SIMATIC RTLS transponders are embedded in badges worn as personal protective equipment to track when employees are at risk, e.g., when employees are within 6 feet of one another the badges will display an alert. Data collected over time can be analyzed to identify “hot spots” where risk scenarios occur frequently. Using the collected data, new manufacturing layouts and/or workflows can be simulated using Tecnomatix until one is determined to provide the desired outcomes, which can then be implemented in the physical operation. The Trusted Traceability Application can be used to perform comprehensive contact analysis in the event of an actual workplace illness. All movement and contact with the affected employee can be visualized, enabling rapid notification of those who came into close contact, and enabling selective deep cleaning of exposed physical environments, eliminating the need for more widespread cleaning.
Mr. Raj Batra, President of Digital Industries for Siemens USA, stated “our solution consists of proven technologies that can begin delivering results for most manufacturers in one to two weeks.”
CIMdata is very pleased and excited to see Siemens create and deploy a solution designed to help manufacturing enterprises create safer work environments and be able to improve their overall production efficiency. These types of offerings were suggested in CIMdata’s recent Webinar on the impacts of COVID-19 on the PLM Economy and we are happy to see Siemens create one so quickly. We think this is a very positive step to help companies move forward in returning to productive operations while improving and managing the safety of their most valued resources—their employees.