Industry 4.0 - Concept of Manufacturing

Industry 4.0 refers to the concept of manufacturing where machines are augmented with wired or wireless connectivity and sensors, connected to a system that has capability to visualise the entire production line and make decisions.

- Mr Vishwas Kale

The concept

Industry 4.0 also describes the use of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies and processes. This would include cyber-physical systems (CPS), the internet of things (IoT), industrial internet of things (IIOT), Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence. In short, it encourages the development of a ‘smart factory’

Let us have a look at industrial revolutions

Industry 1.0:

It was a transition from hand production methods to machines through the use of steam power and water power. The implementation of new technologies took a long time, so the period is between 1760 and 1840 in Europe and the US.

Industry 2.0:

It was the period between 1870 and 1914. The revolution was made possible with the extensive railroads and the telegraph which allowed for faster travel of people and ideas. It was marked by use of electricity.

Industry 3.0:

This occurred in the late 20th century, after the end of the two world wars, as a result of a slowdown with industrialization and technological advancement.

Industry 4.0:

Today, progress is being made based on cyber-physical systems. Just to get an idea, a few things like iPhone, iPad, Kindle, 4G, Instagram, WhatsApp etc did not exist as near as in 2006.

Industry 4.0 is complex term consisting of many components. To understand how extensive these components are, here are some contributing digital technologies:

• Advanced human-machine interfaces

• 3D printing

• Smart sensors

• Mobile devices

• Internet of Things (IoT) platforms

• Location detection technologies

• Big data analytics and advanced algorithms