Industry 4

Current Trend of Automation and Data Exchange in Manufacturing Technologies

• The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is a term used to describe the rapid changes in technology, industries, and societal patterns and processes in the 21st century due to increasing interconnectivity and smart automation.
• The Fourth Industrial Revolution is characterized by the integration of technologies like artificial intelligence, gene editing, and advanced robotics that blur the lines between the physical, digital, and biological worlds.
• The Fourth Industrial Revolution is marked by increasing automation, improving communication and self-monitoring, and the use of smart machines that can analyze and diagnose issues without the need for human intervention.
• The Fourth Industrial Revolution represents a social, political, and economic shift from the digital age of the late 1990s and early 2000s to an era of embedded connectivity distinguished by the omni-use and commonness of technological use throughout society.
• The Fourth Industrial Revolution is expected to be followed by a Fifth Industrial Revolution.
• The Fourth Industrial Revolution operates through cyber-physical systems (CPS), IoT, industrial internet of things, cloud computing, cognitive computing, and artificial intelligence.
• Industry 4.0 integrates processes vertically, across the entire organization, including processes in product development, manufacturing, structuring, and service; horizontally, Industry 4.0 includes internal operations from suppliers to customers as well as all key value chain partners.
• The Fourth Industrial Revolution fosters what has been called a "smart factory" where cyber-physical systems monitor physical processes, create a virtual copy of the physical world, and make decentralized decisions.
• Predictive maintenance, 3D printing, and smart sensors are some of the technologies driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
• The Fourth Industrial Revolution aids transitions into the knowledge economy by increasing reliance on intellectual capabilities than on physical inputs or natural resources.
• The implementation of Industry 4.0 faces challenges in economic, social, political, and organizational aspects.
• Many countries have set up institutional mechanisms to foster the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies, such as the Digital Transformation Agency and the Prime Minister's Industry 4.0 Taskforce in Australia and the Working Group on Industry 4.0 in Germany.Industry 4.0: Examples of countries' initiatives and industry applications

Examples of Countries' Initiatives

• Germany is a leader in the development of the I4.0 policy and published set objectives and goals for enterprises to achieve.
• Estonia leapfrogged to the digital era and is one of the world's most digitally advanced nations.
• Indonesia has a focus on improving industrial performance with Making Indonesia 4.0.
• South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Uganda, the UK, and the US have also implemented their own initiatives on Industry 4.0.

Industry Applications

• Aerospace companies have investigated Industry 4.0 principles to improve productivity where the upfront cost of automation cannot be justified.
• Bosch uses Industry 4.0 in the industrial internet of things, including machines that can predict failures and trigger maintenance processes autonomously.
• Innovation 4.0 is a move towards digitization for academia and research and development.
• The Materials Innovation Factory (MIF) at the University of Liverpool integrates robotic formulation, data capture, and modeling into development practices.

Criticism

• The IKEA effect is a criticism of Industry 4.0 where self-made products are valued more than those that involved automation.