Human-Centred Automation: Azbil’s Vision for a Sustainable Future – IAA

Takashi Igarashi of Azbil Corporation shares how their advanced automation solutions are building smarter, greener industries in Southeast Asia.

In the rapidly evolving industrial landscape of Southeast Asia, businesses are under immense pressure to enhance productivity, improve safety, and meet ambitious sustainability goals. The solution, according to Takashi Igarashi, Managing Executive Officer, Advanced Automation (AA) Business, azbil Group Product Business Portfolio Enhancement, President of Advanced Automation Company, Azbil Corporation, lies in a profound shift towards advanced automation.

As he explains, the company’s approach is not just about technology; it is about the Azbil Group’s philosophy of “human-centred automation.” This guiding principle, which inherits the founding spirit established in Japan in 1906, seeks a harmonious balance between human ingenuity and technological innovation. It is an ethos that informs every aspect of their work, from product design to global strategy.

Advertisments

Empowering Factories with Smart and Scalable Solutions
The modern manufacturing environment requires systems that are not only powerful but also adaptable and intelligent. Azbil addresses this need with smart and scalable automation solutions that facilitate the seamless integration of digitalisation.

The goal is to provide long-term benefits that go beyond immediate efficiency gains. “Azbil provides smart and scalable automation solutions that help manufacturers in Southeast Asia embrace digitalisation,” says Igarashi. “These solutions are designed to be sustainable and efficient, ensuring long-term benefits for the manufacturers.”

A key part of this strategy is the provision of high-level safety and security. Azbil’s solutions incorporate advanced engineering and on-site support to minimise downtime and ensure continuous operations.

This hands-on, partnership-based approach is crucial, as Igarashi points out: “Azbil creates value by working directly with customers at their sites, using a positive balance of products, mechanisms, and human resources.”

The company’s employees visit customer sites, providing ideas and co-creating solutions tailored to specific needs, from refining and petrochemicals to food and beverage and public utilities.

The Rise of the Smart Factory: Predictive Maintenance and IoT
The concept of the “smart factory” is no longer futuristic; it is a present-day reality enabled by cutting-edge technology. Azbil plays a pivotal role in this transformation, leveraging IoT-enabled systems and predictive algorithms to help manufacturers optimise operations and prevent unexpected failures.

Igarashi highlights the transformative power of a data-driven approach, explaining that real-time data collection provides valuable insights into equipment performance.

One of the most powerful tools in Azbil’s arsenal is its control valve diagnostic technology. These tools monitor valve performance in real time, allowing for the early detection of anomalies and the prevention of catastrophic failures. This proactive strategy is a cornerstone of predictive maintenance, which offers a host of benefits. As Igarashi notes, it helps “minimise unplanned downtime,” “optimise maintenance schedules,” and “reduce costs.”

This shift from a time-based maintenance schedule to a condition-based approach allows manufacturers to optimise maintenance and costs.

In addition, Azbil provides an AI-based CBM (condition-based maintenance) platform that analyses data from sensors, monitoring factors like vibration, temperature, and pressure, for the predictive maintenance of equipment. The system can detect early signs of anomalies and wear and tear, preventing issues from escalating.

This not only saves money but also improves workplace safety and ensures compliance with industry regulations. The outcome is a more reliable, adaptable, and efficient production process.

The Human-Centred Difference: Safety, Comfort, and Fulfilment
While technology is at the heart of their solutions, Azbil’s philosophy ensures that people remain at the centre of the equation. This “human-centred automation” is about creating an environment where humans and technology cooperate to provide value.

The company’s focus is on automation solutions that enhance human capabilities, ensuring safety, comfort, and fulfilment. “We aim to create a state where humans and technology cooperate to provide value and solve societal problems,” says Igarashi.

This is evident in the design of their products and services, which prioritise usability and user experience. Technologies like IoT, AI, and big data are integrated to be intuitive, not intimidating.

For example, Azbil’s early warning systems for production plants use predictive analytics to anticipate anomalies, ensuring worker safety and reducing wasted energy. This proactive approach significantly reduces the psychological burden on operators, allowing them to work more comfortably and efficiently.

This dedication to user-centric design has earned Azbil prestigious design awards, including the GOOD DESIGN AWARD and the iF DESIGN AWARD.

Pushing Towards a Sustainable Future
In an era of growing environmental consciousness, Azbil is also a key player in helping factories meet sustainability goals. The company’s automation solutions are engineered to help factories reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprint.

Igarashi outlines Azbil’s three growth fields: the New Automation Field, the Environment and Energy Field, and the Life-cycle Solutions Field. Each area is designed to contribute to a sustainable society by leveraging existing products and developing innovative solutions for new demands and using digitalisation to ensure the long-term quality, performance, productivity, and profitability of customer assets.

One of the core components of this strategy is Azbil’s energy management solutions. These systems provide real-time monitoring and visualisation of energy consumption, allowing manufacturers to identify and address areas of waste.

“Azbil has introduced systems that can visualise and analyse energy consumption in real-time,” Igarashi explains. “This allows factories to identify areas where energy is being wasted and take corrective actions to improve efficiency.”

Azbil’s commitment extends to its own operations, with the company achieving Net-Zero Target Certification from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). They have set a long-term goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across their entire value chain by 2050.

This global effort is exemplified by projects like the RENKEI control system, which coordinates individual devices to optimise overall energy efficiency.

Such deployments have led to significant energy savings and a reduced environmental impact, contributing to a total annual effective CO2 reduction of 2.84 million metric tonnes at customer sites in 2023.

The Future is Now: AI, Talent, and Global Expansion
Looking ahead, Azbil is preparing for the next generation of industrial innovation through aggressive investments and strategic priorities. The company’s new medium-term plan focuses on “Evolution” and “Co-creation.”

A key part of this strategy is the deeper integration of technologies like AI, machine learning, and neural networks into their control systems. These intelligent systems can autonomously identify anomalies and faults in complex systems, enhancing reliability and safety.

Igarashi provides a concrete example of this: “Azbil’s AI-based online anomaly detection system” helps plants respond to equipment anomalies in a timely and appropriate manner. In one chemical plant, the introduction of this system significantly reduced the psychological burden on operators, as it enabled the early detection of anomalies that were previously difficult to track.

To support this technological evolution, Azbil is also investing in its people. They are committed to upskilling the workforce through expert-led training and hands-on experience, ensuring employees are equipped to manage increasingly sophisticated automation systems. This focus on human capital is matched by a push for global expansion, with initiatives tailored to regional characteristics in Southeast Asia.

With the establishment of a new research and development centre in Singapore, Azbil is poised to accelerate the development and deployment of solutions specifically for the Asian market.

By focusing on human-centred automation, sustainability, and cutting-edge technology, Azbil is not just selling products, it is shaping the future of industrial automation, one factory at a time.