Shell study finds expertise gap and lubrication errors are hampering adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies among UK manufacturers

A study commissioned by Shell Lubricants has found that a lack of expertise within UK manufacturers is hampering the widespread uptake of Industry 4.0 technologies.

The 'Exploring Industry 4.0' study found that 96 per cent of UK manufacturers are engaged and optimistic about Industry 4.0 technologies, and anticipate that high-tech equipment will deliver cost savings to their company.

However, a lack of expertise combined with concerns about pace of change and costs are hindering the amount of connected, predictive and data-based technologies being used by UK manufacturers, with Shell saying that collaboration will be the key to unlocking progress.

94 per cent of manufacturers surveyed said they currently use at least one Industry 4.0 technology, with Cloud-based technologies (50 per cent) and sensors (54 per cent) being the most prevalent, with technologies such as robotics (32 per cent) and artificial intelligence (32 per cent) being amongst the least used.

54 per cent of those surveyed said that increased equipment productivity is the major benefit they expect from these technologies, but despite this, 56 per cent feel that the industry is changing too rapidly, and 66 per cent were unwilling to invest in new equipment while their current equipment is still operational.

There are also concerns about the implications on Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), as around half of companies expect TCO to increase as a result of introducing new technologies, primarily because of the higher up-front investment and because they expect maintenance costs to rise.

Shahina Kazi, UK B2B Marketing Manager for Shell Lubricants, said: “According to the survey, a major issue facing UK manufacturers s a growing knowledge gap about the technologies, as well as the lack of trusted internal experts to provide them with support, as well as being concerned about the difficulties of upskilling workers to use these new technologies. This is something that we in Shell Lubricants want to change and can help them overcome.”

“Effective maintenance regimes are crucial to help companies maximise returns from their new high-tech equipment. It’s interesting to note that although 90 per cent of those surveyed agreed that introduction of these new technologies will have an impact on their choice of lubricants, only 32 per cent feel they will need to place more emphasis on equipment protection and a third would focus more on lubricant quality.”

Optimising lubrication can have a significant impact on component life, maintenance costs, and unplanned downtime, and as such can contribute to reduced TCO and improved equipment productivity.

External support is important for companies looking to improve maintenance practices, and 86 per cent of those surveyed using Industry 4.0 technologies plan to use their lubricants supplier to help them progress.