Although industries have already experienced several major phases of transformation throughout their history, their evolution remains at the top of the list of many business issues today. If the first industrial revolution was characterized by the phenomenon of mechanization, the second by the use of electricity and the third by the advent of electronics, Industry 4.0 will exploit the benefits of technologies derived from artificial intelligence to reduce its operating costs. Whether it’s computer software or production systems, the new industrial era is taking shape in the form of fully autonomous robots with their connected sensor sets.
Factory 4.0 or Industry 4.0: state of play
Industry 4.0 is the industry of the future. Under this name, which is still not well known, are hidden all the principles and equipment specific to the world of digital innovation and digitalization.
To meet their needs for competitiveness and profitability, business leaders focus their investment strategy on the acquisition of the latest technological tools designed to :
- assist the entire production process by computer, from the management of the delivery of raw materials by suppliers to the shipment of finished products;
- anticipate the risks of breakdowns, to limit their frequency, or even eliminate them completely;
- connect the various logistics vehicles to each other, which helps speed up transport and handling operations.
What will the factory of the future look like in the years to come?
To give Industry 4.0 a complete definition, without falling into complexity, it should be associated with the concept of IoT. By enabling the exchange and processing of data, independently of any human interaction, the Internet of Things promotes the development of industrial activities, as well as facilitating the daily life of maintenance operators.
This new industrial revolution embodied by Industry 4.0 results in:
- constructive collaboration between humans and machines, with robots that are as reliable as they are safe;
- cognitive manufacturing, based on the combination of algorithms and connected objects;
- predictive maintenance, rather than curative maintenance, so that the production line is not subject to untimely shutdowns;
- massive storage and smooth transmission of information, no matter how much information there is.