Industry 4.0, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, describes a transformation in the way we produce and manage goods that is driven by the integration of digital technologies into the core of the industrial production process. This production process is changing, regulated by the interconnection of machines and systems, the automation of production, learning machines and the real-time collection of data. Facilitating Industry 4.0 is the Internet of Things (IoT), a foundational technology that connects machines, systems and people in order to enhance production, reduce waste and promote efficiencies in the industry.

At its core, Industry 4.0 is a fully digitised, interconnected system in which inanimate objects such as machines, devices, sensors, and living and breathing people are in perpetual interaction. Based on data-driven exchanges, pervasive self-adjustment and ease of access, this continuously evolving system promises previously unimaginable degrees of flexibility, connectivity and cooperation with enormous potential for efficiency gains. It is also designed to be the cornerstone of the smart factory – a data-fuelled network that allows the ‘real’ factory to be organised and operated on the basis of automation and self-optimisation.

• Automation and robotics

One of the pillars of Industry 4.0 is automation. Advanced robotics and artificial intelligence are helping machines perform increasingly flexible, precise tasks autonomously or under human supervision. Machines can take on repetitive and dangerous tasks, creating opportunities to redesign workplaces to enhance productivity and health. Robots can also complement human workers, achieving levels of flexibility and autonomy that might be impossible for humans alone, or fostering cooperation to create superhuman efficiency.

• Machine learning and AI

Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) can identify what we should do with the data we are collecting – such as run maintenance on a machine that is likely to fail or make adjustments to the production process before a defect becomes an expensive discrepancy. Analysis of data collected from the production floor by AI algorithms starts to make predictions about when a machine will break down or can determine the best course of action before a quality failure occurs. This predictive capability helps reduce downtime and ensures a consistently high-value output.

The backbone of industry 4.0: IoT integration

IoT technology, a cornerstone of Industry 4.0, involves connecting devices and machines to create a network that can share data between machines and with centralised data repositories. These devices, ranging from relatively simple sensors to complex robots, are meant to provide information to each other in real-time, enabling manufacturers to have a better understanding of what’s going on in their production processes, make predictions about maintenance and optimise production by providing real-time process feedback to machines.

The foundation of Industry 4.0:

• Networked devices and machines: IoT technology, essential to Industry 4.0, connects a wide range of devices from simple sensors to advanced robots. This interconnectivity allows for real-time data exchange, enhancing process understanding, predictive maintenance and production optimisation.
• Data-driven manufacturing: The real-time data generated and shared among IoT devices revolutionises manufacturing processes. This connectivity enables predictive maintenance, reduces downtime, and ensures consistent production quality by monitoring equipment performance in real-time.

Transform manufacturing with real-time data and connectivity

The real-time data and connectivity associated with IoT devices also modify the way that things are made. With IoT sensors located in machinery and equipment, manufacturers can monitor usage, performance and condition of this equipment in real-time, enabling predictive maintenance and reducing downtime, and extending the useful life of machinery while ensuring consistent quality of production.

Furthermore, IoT connectivity allows each stage of the process to be incorporated into the product, so that the supply chain, the factory floor and the end consumer are all connected in a more integrated manufacturing process that is more agile and responds better to demand changes and production requirements.

Enhance operational efficiency and productivity

One of the most remarkable emerging applications of IoT is in Industry 4.0 and is aimed at improving efficiency and productivity. Typically, IoT-enabled smart factories or production facilities are equipped with an automation and optimisation system. By applying IoT technologies, a lot of manual work could be replaced by machine operations thereby eliminating human errors in the production process and moving the product along the production line more quickly. This also allows for future refinement to the extent that, in the long run, productivity can be improved without adding labour costs.

Moreover, IoT-enabled data analytics will enable manufacturers to optimise their operations end to end. For example, production networks could study flow data and effortlessly identify inefficiencies and waste, thus driving savings to the company and the environment.

In short, IoT and Industry 4.0 boost efficiency and productivity by enabling:

• Automation and optimisation: IoT enables the transformation of factories into smart production facilities, where manual tasks are automated, reducing human error and enhancing production speed.
• Data analytics for operational optimisation: Using IoT for data analytics allows manufacturers to identify inefficiencies and waste, driving operational improvements and environmental benefits.

Pioneering innovation and customisation

Perhaps the most innovative area of potential in IoT technologies is right by the factory gates. Manufacturers can now dive deep into mountains of consumer data to understand how and why customers use products, leading to new kinds of usage – and consumer expectations. Armed with that valuable knowledge, companies can make products tailored to individuals, at manufacturing scale never before available. And that, in turn, is driving higher levels of customisation in products and how they are used.

But Industrial IoT also suggests the need for greater coordination between the machines, hence, Industry 4.0. The transformation posed by the incorporation of the IoT into manufacturing encompasses a significant set of challenges. These challenges revolve around data security and privacy; skill development; and building the appropriate infrastructure, both in hardware and software, to make the most of IoT data. If these challenges can be tackled early on, manufacturers could quickly reap the benefits of IoT and Industry 4.0.

With IoT changing the landscape of manufacturing, the synergy between it and Industry 4.0 could surely be the beginning of a new era of modern manufacturing. The confluence of these technologies will not only increase efficiency of the manufacturing process, but also aid in innovation and meet workforce and consumer demands across the world. As the Fourth Industrial Revolution unfolds its complexities, there is no doubt that the integration of IoT in Industry 4.0 will be among the drivers in revolutionising the manufacturing industry.

Article by Magda Dąbrowska, a technical writer at WeKnow Media

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• Source: https://www.iot-now.com/2024/03/14/143182-iot-and-industry-4-0-create-a-transformed-manufacturing-landscape/