At SEW-EURODRIVE, our MOVI-C® transformation marks the next evolution in automation, built to meet present and future industry needs as part of integrated ecosystems on the factory floor.

In our latest blog, our Electronic Sales Manager, Stuart Swarbrick talks about why manufacturers are turning to an integrated approach for their automation requirements and why SEW-EURODRIVE is leading the way in simplifying the entire automation landscape.

Read on, and find answers to the questions:

• Why is automation in manufacturing changing?

• What impact do integrated systems have on the factory floor?

• How is SEW-EURODRIVE helping customers scale up automation?

Why is automation in manufacturing changing?

While automation in manufacturing was once focused on mass production and rigid assembly line set-ups, a storm of rising costs, supply chain disruptions, and labour shortages has forced many operators' hands to search for a more flexible solution.

Those furthest ahead in their digitalisation journeys are turning to advanced, agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics to get the job done, whilst those earlier on in their automation strategies are finding success in simply introducing real-time data visibility.

This data can be collected in various ways. Firstly, in the warehouse, tracking materials coming into the factory and onto the assembly line, helping to monitor hidden shortages that could halt production. At SEW-EURODRIVE we’ve gone one step further than this, intensifying our monitoring of global events like geopolitical disruption and natural disasters that could impact component availability. This transparency acts as an early warning system, helping our operational teams identify risks and allocate resources more effectively.

Further data can be collected through sensors attached to machinery. Here, parameters like vibration and temperature are analysed for deviations from normal operating conditions, which in turn means maintenance can take place before smaller issues, like bearing wear or overheating, spiral into costly full shutdowns.

Once you’ve integrated real-time visibility into your everyday processes, the next step is to start leveraging AI and robotics to ease the workload on your staff and get your operations running more efficiently for longer periods.

By pairing live data with intelligent automation, machines can handle the heavy-lifting and menial tasks, freeing up your teams to work on more pressing matters like product innovation or problem solving.

What impact do integrated systems have on the factory floor?

Integrated systems connect different software and machines so they can share information automatically. This replaces isolated data silos where useful information is walled off – for example, when production, inventory, and quality control teams use separate, incompatible systems.

Once in place, integrated systems give production managers a live view of what’s happening across a factory floor, from materials coming in, to machine performance, to output rates and quality. Decisions that would’ve previously required hours of manual data input, not to mention analysis, can be made faster with greater confidence.

For maintenance teams, the benefits of integration are just as strong, allowing engineers to act on early warning signs flagged by machinery sensors. When a motor starts drawing more current, or a conveyor runs hotter than usual, downtime for fixes can be planned in advance rather than unexpectedly stopping production.

In production planning, material shortages or supplier delays can be factored into manufacturing timelines, giving operators the chance to adjust, whether that’s introducing different materials, or switching to adapted product designs. Here, plug-and-play flexibility is beneficial, making changes far easier to implement without significant reengineering.

Another advantage of integration is that it reduces the chance of key information sitting with just one person. When data is shared automatically across departments, teams can step in and out when needed, and new staff can get to grips with what’s happening across operations far more quickly.

How is SEW-EURODRIVE helping customers scale up automation?

At SEW-EURODRIVE, we work with manufacturers across a wide range of industries, from those just starting to use real-time data in their factories, to those with highly integrated, digitalised production environments.

Our MOVI-C® modular automation system sits at the centre of this, as an end-to-end platform that works as a one-stop-shop for every automation task. With everything coming from a single source, hardware and software work jointly, simplifying engineering.

SEW-EURODRIVE software like MOVIKIT® assists with production planning, managing parameter setting, startup, and diagnostics tasks for a production system, whilst using SEW-EURODRIVE hardware like controllers reduces installation space and costs. All our customers have to do is connect our components and they’ll link via plug-and-play, meaning they’ll automatically share data with each other, eliminating the need to reconfigure entire systems when one drive is swapped out.

Because the MOVI-C® system is built around a unified hardware and software architecture, adding new applications or expanding into additional production lines doesn't require starting from scratch. Manufacturers can grow their automation setup incrementally, at a pace that suits their operations, with the same hardware, software and engineering tools in place throughout.

Ready to scale up automation on your factory floor? It’s time to make the shift to MOVI-C®.

You can download our MOVI-C guide here, or contact our team at info@sew-eurodrive.co.uk for more information.

FAQs

What is MOVI-C® and how does it support automation?

MOVI-C® is SEW-EURODRIVE's end-to-end modular automation system, bringing hardware and software together from a single source to simplify engineering across every automation task. Components connect via plug-and-play and share data automatically with each other, which means reconfiguring entire systems when one drive is swapped out is no longer necessary.

Can MOVI-C® grow with my business?

Yes. Because MOVI-C® is built around a unified hardware and software architecture, manufacturers can expand their automation setup incrementally without starting from scratch each time. The same tools and components stay in place throughout, whether you are adding a new application to an existing line or scaling across multiple sites.

How does MOVI-C® help with production planning?

MOVIKIT® software assists with parameter setting, startup and diagnostics, while the system's plug-and-play connectivity means material changes or design adaptations can be implemented without significant reengineering. When shortages or supplier delays arise, operators can adjust their production plans quickly and with minimal disruption.