How manufacturers can start digital transformation with low-cost tools, real shop-floor data, and minimal risk.

In this episode, Harry Baxter from Defence Materials Technology Centre (DMTC) and Matthew Doolan from UNSW Canberra explain how manufacturers can begin their digital manufacturing journey without investing in large-scale MES projects or expensive infrastructure. Shane and Paul explore practical examples from Digital Manufacturing on a Shoestring and Smart Enough Factory initiatives, covering:

• How low-cost sensors, Raspberry Pi devices and simple dashboards can provide immediate visibility of factory operations
• Using energy monitoring to identify hidden power consumption and reduce operating costs
• How job-tracking systems help identify bottlenecks and improve production flow
• Why air-quality monitoring can improve workplace transparency and operational awareness
• The cultural challenges of digital adoption and how to build operator engagement from the shop floor up
• Why manufacturers should focus on solving business problems first and then select the appropriate technology

Whether you're a plant manager, operations leader, continuous improvement specialist, or SME owner, this episode provides practical examples of how to start capturing meaningful production data and build momentum for broader digital transformation.

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Show notes and links for this episode: https://www.manufacturingtech.au/episodes/

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