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The first industrial revolution began in the 18th century when the power
of the steam engine was harnessed and manufacturing first became
mechanised. The second revolution came about when mass production
techniques were deployed in the early 20th century. And the third (the
one we’re in now) came over the next few decades as electronic systems
and computer technologies helped to further automate production lines.
So what’s next?
According to some industry experts from the likes of Siemens and Bosch,
a new period of manufacturing technology dubbed “Industry 4.0” will be
upon us within the next couple of decades. At its core are cyber-physical
systems made up of software, sensors, processors and communication
technologies, according to Brian Holliday, divisional director of Siemens
Industry Automation.
Many of the individual technologies that lay the foundation for Industry
4.0 have emerged over the last 10 to 15 years, he added. These pre-
existing technologies will be embedded into materials, parts and the
machines that work on them so they can communicate with one another
in real time and exchange commands as products make their way down
the production line.
Up until now there hasn’t been a way of linking the isolated elements of
production chains, according to Dr Werner Struth, who sits on Bosch’s
management board and oversees production system development among
other things. ‘Now, data network technology such as RFID [radio-
frequency identification] chips – mini transponders – offer the opportunity
to gather more data and to map entire production units, stretching all the
way from the supplier to the customer,’ he said.
In other words, each product has its own digital information embedded
into it that it can share with machines via radio signals as it moves along
the production line. Bosch has already started testing the feasibility of
RFID technology in production lines at its Homburg plant, in Germany,
where the company manufactures diesel injectors.
Customised parts can be made more easily when each product has its
own RFID tag, a situation that could lead to customised mass
production.
‘The entire in-house logistics process is controlled using RFID chips,’ said
Struth. ‘These even make it into the crates delivered to the customer,
where they keep an exact tab on the contents of the boxes. Once the
customer has emptied a crate, this prompts an electronic request asking
us to manufacture another shipment.’
This idea ties in with the opportunities that 3D printing is creating for
more customisable manufacturing. But while some have said that additive
manufacturing itself represents a new industrial revolution, Industry 4.0
is a more encompassing concept. ‘If you’ve got an intelligent factory that
has removed the data discontinuities between what the ERP (enterprise
resource planning) system has clearly identified as customer orders right
through to production scheduling and the materials needed, then the
ability to produce customised goods on a mass scale is improved,’ said
Holliday.
The term “Industry 4.0” was first coined by a group of scientists and
business/industry executives that advises the German government on
how to develop its technology strategy. And the German government
recently pledged €200m to help industry associations, research institutes,
and companies create an implementation strategy for Industry 4.0.
Germany’s National Academy of Science and Engineering even argues
that this new technological revolution could lead to a 30 per cent increase
in industrial productivity.
But Germany isn’t the only country looking towards the next generation
of manufacturing processes. In April, UK science minister David Willetts
selected robotics and autonomous systems as one of the “eight great
technologies” that the government believes the UK will excel in and
deserve particular support. He awarded the research field £15m in a bid
to increase the strength and productivity of research.
Meanwhile, Robert Harrison, professor of automation systems at Warwick
Manufacturing Group (WMG) told The Engineer that the core themes that
make up Industry 4.0 have been emerging in research and development
facilities across the UK. For example, WMG has been producing 3D
visualisations of production machines for Ford’s engine assembly
machines ahead of their physical build at a factory in Dagenham in east
London.
‘It is happening here but the German’s have some well written documents
and funding strategies for it. I guess the research councils and other
bodies here are looking at aspects of that,’ said Harrison. ‘I think
introducing an Industry 4.0 initiative in the UK would pull together a
number of different areas under the theme of integrating systems and
address industry’s future needs in a cohesive way.’
‘Industry 4.0 is a 20-year journey,’ said Holliday. ‘It’s not something that’s
going to come about in two or five year’s time … But the work that goes
in now to create the platforms, the protocols and the connections between
the smart devices that will enable the digitally designed factory
environments, that is envisaged by programs like Industry 4.0.’
Traduccion
"Está sucediendo aquí, pero los alemanes tienen algunos documentos bien
escritos y estrategias de financiación para ello. Supongo que los consejos
de investigación y otros organismos aquí están estudiando aspectos de
eso ", dijo Harrison. "Creo que la introducción de una iniciativa de Industry
4.0 en el Reino Unido reuniría una serie de áreas diferentes bajo el tema
de la integración de sistemas y atender las necesidades futuras de la
industria de una manera cohesiva".
"La industria 4.0 es un viaje de 20 años", dijo Holliday. "No es algo que
va a ocurrir dentro de dos o cinco años ... Pero el trabajo que se realiza
ahora para crear las plataformas, los protocolos y las conexiones entre
los dispositivos inteligentes que permitirán los entornos de fábrica
diseñados digitalmente, Programas como Industry 4.0.