In many countries, industrial production has taken a step forward by embracing the new technologies characteristic of Industry 4.0. Automation with the multiplication of intelligent robots, connected devices and 3D printing are transforming the manufacturing process and the working conditions of operators. By opting for these methods, the company will change profoundly, with the result that its production capacities will be improved and new employment opportunities will be created. The industrial revolution is symbolized by the creation of words, such as smart factory or cobot, which respectively designate the factory and the smart robots.
Industry 4.0 enables smart automation of the production system
The introduction of 3D printing or sensors on production lines facilitates and optimizes the production process. Their use provides immediate feedback through the collected and compiled data. Automation, a pillar of Industry 4.0, is measured and verified in terms of time savings from design to machine monitoring.
Visualizing the limits of a project, anticipating a possible machine failure or a stock shortage are now possible and carried out by the participants in the manufacturing process. In Industry 4.0, intelligent automation systems have a direct impact on development and maintenance. This new industrial mode generates a cost reduction for companies.
How is the Internet of Things transforming production into a smart industry?
In a smart factory, the ability to exchange, record and analyze data without being on the production floor is one of the advantages offered by the use of connected tools. Industry 4.0 uses connected devices. The Internet of Things allows operators to remotely control machines, assess risks or intervene in production.
In Industry 4.0, digital technologies with the use of 3D printing allow an increasingly customized production, without requiring new manufacturing tools, or even their acquisition. It is thus a source of both flexibility and optimization.
This transformation of the industry induced by new manufacturing methods and smart tools or objects brings more flexibility to companies. It offers more responsibility to operators who interact directly with production in more rewarding working conditions.
In this sense, it marks the end of assembly line work as it was known at the beginning of the 20th century. The digitalization of industry requires new skills and new professions that put people at the center of the industrial revolution or Industry 4.0.