Major disruptions in human history caused profound changes in the way of being and acting of human beings. According to experts, we are living longer one. Industry 4.0 promises to be the new industrial revolution and should significantly change the way it currently works. After the steam engine, the assembly lines and computers in the factory, we are heading for an industry where machines communicate with each other, and more, will make decisions based on external information such as quotations on the stock exchange, changes in consumption patterns and climatic conditions, for example. The concepts of Big Data and Internet of Things will no longer, in fact, be only concepts and world where absolutely everything communicates via the Internet begin to exist in fact.
As the Industry 4.0 will work?
Quite simply, the transition to Industry 4.0 is technology developments and processes, in which systems will manage themselves through sensors, ie machines will communicate between them with little human interference. Factories will be what is called cyber-physical systems (CPS), setting performed by Dr. James Truchard, CEO of National Instruments in 2006, based on the virtual representation of a manufacturing process in software. These systems are under development in various parts of the world, but the country that spearheaded the concept of Industry 4.0 was Germany. There, there is a large project involving business, government and universities, focused on making real the fully interconnected production lines.
Some experts predict that the industry will be 4.0 reality in the coming years. This is because the vast majority of the necessary technology already exists, such as sensors, advanced GPS systems, radio transmissions, electronic boards, etc. What remains is to assemble structures and link them together so that work independently and intelligently.
In practice, what will happen is that, for example, in a situation where a product is almost over in stock, the factory itself will know answer is "the product is being very or somewhat demanded by the market?", "How many units will be needed to meet this demand? "," we have a raw material enough? "and more. With this, the factory itself will decide to produce or not new goods.
What opportunities Industry 4.0 offer?
For those who work with technology, endless. People trained and products that adapt to this new reality will be increasingly demanded. Exame magazine defined the new professional required by Industry 4.0.:multidisciplinar with adaptability, sense of urgency and good relationship.
The same goes for the opportunities that will arise for the industry, they are also numerous. With the integration and high communication at maximum levels, production efficiency will increase a lot. Waste will be increasingly less common. The intervention of man, and create and program the machines, it is only in guiding the paths of which are not yet fully certain tool or just confirm or cancel actions on decisions that the machine itself has taken. It will certainly be a huge change in thinking and production to consumption. Are you prepared?
To learn more about automation and robotics trends, check out the articles: "New industrial automation technologies you should know," "collaborative robots: a new era of industrial production" and "Robotics Trends for industries."
What do you think of Industry 4.0? Tell us in the comments.
