Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 is the great opportunity to fuse Sensor Technologies, Data Analytics, Process Management and Automation to build a self-controling factory. 

The economy is on the threshold of the fourth industrial revolution. Strong individualization, intelligent products and an extensive integration of customers and partners in the value creation processes are the characteristics of a company. The term “Industry 4.0” signifies those developments driven by IT innovations.

The Internet, mobile devices and smart objects are changing the face of manufacturing. It will have a profound effect on the way we make things. Hallmarks of this change will be the blanket use of information and communications technology as well as sensor systems. The real-time capability provided by mobile communication, autonomous objects and real-time sensor systems enables not just decentralized control but also ad hoc tailoring of processes. This in turn will help companies speed up and increase the flexibility of how they respond to customer requirements. Connected, intelligent products tell their user how they are to be best applied, new digital business models harness collected data offering additional services and as-a-service products, work pieces telling the shop floor machinery how they are to be processed, and all supported by a fully digital value chain. That is the core of Digital Industry 4.0 – referring to the 4th industrial revolution – highly intelligent cyber physical systems are connected to create the Internet of Things.

Prof. Dr. August-Wilhelm Scheer presented on the CeBIT Global Conferences his view of Industry 4.0

Prof. Dr. August-Wilhelm Scheer  characterizes Industry 4.0 by a horizontal and vertical integration of production -systems and -resources. For him it is the consistent progression of the Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) approach, described by the Y-CIM-Model, developed by him. With the implementation of integrated software systems for production planning and control (ERP Applications), the vertical integration was realized and thus extended from the scope of Supply Chain Management to a horizontal network with customers and suppliers across corporate boundaries. The Internet of Things, new technologies such as iBeacons and the latest developments in modern technologies (e.g.  sensors, actuators) offer great possibilities to optimize processes, protect resources and to secure Germany as a production location.

Being a government initiative it is not about the buzzword which just appeared since February in media.

This graphic shows how often Industry 4.0 was mentioned in online media since January 1st 2014 untill March 31st 2014

But, the opportunity with Big Data and sensor technologies such as iBeacons to lower the investment cost in a significant way to optimize drastically existing manufacturing processes.

(Acatech • Industrie 4.0)

Industry 4.0 is a project in the high-tech strategy of the German government, which promotes the computerization of traditional industries such as manufacturing.The goal is the intelligent factory (Smart Factory), which is characterized by adaptability, resource efficiency and ergonomics as well as the integration of customers and business partners in business and value processes. Technological basis are cyber-physical systems and the Internet of Things.  (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)