At present, China is accelerating the implementation of “Made in China 2025”, which is the Chinese version of “Industry 4.0”, and is fully promoting the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry to intelligent manufacturing. In order to ride on the express train of Industry 4.0 and gain an advantage in the future industrial competition, manufacturing enterprises are also stepping up the road of intelligentization, automation and digital transformation.
Industry 4.0 integrates popular technologies such as the Internet of Things, big data, cloud computing, connectivity, analytics, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, etc., and completely changes the foundation of the next industrial revolution. By connecting the physical and digital worlds, Industry 4.0 provides a connected, holistic solution for manufacturing. This connection enables better collaboration and communication between departments, partners, suppliers, and even products and people.
In addition, Industry 4.0 gives business owners greater control and visibility into all aspects of factory operations, allowing them to leverage real-time data to increase productivity, optimize processes and drive business growth. The main goal of Industry 4.0 is to make manufacturing faster, more efficient and customer-centric. And, with Industry 4.0, manufacturing companies can not only optimize and automate processes, but also discover new business opportunities and innovate business models.
According to KPMG forecasts, by 2020, Industry 4.0 will unlock market opportunities of more than $4 trillion.
Asset Management in the Age of Industry 4.0
Most manufacturing companies have a wide variety of machinery, equipment, and production line conveyors scattered across huge buildings. With Industry 4.0, they can use the Internet of Things to intelligently connect these machines and equipment to improve work efficiency. Manufacturers can monitor the operating status of equipment and perform maintenance through remote control.
Moreover, Industry 4.0 enables manufacturers to deploy smart asset monitoring solutions on a powerful IoT platform. With this solution, the devices connected to the sensor can transmit useful data and report the current operating status. Factory managers can remotely monitor and manage machinery and equipment in large-scale production workshops. Likewise, by analyzing real-time data collected by sensors, it is possible to pinpoint the exact location of equipment failures or production interruptions. Once equipment failure occurs, factory managers can analyze the data to diagnose the failure so that correct measures can be taken to prevent the recurrence of such situations.
All in all, asset management solutions in Industry 4.0 can help companies track and monitor the operating status of equipment, improve work efficiency, and track the return on investment of assets.
Technology Trends in the Industry 4.0 Era
Big Data and Analytics
Data helps bridge the gap between information and operations in the manufacturing process. Today, data comes from everywhere, including systems, sensors, mobile devices, and more. However, a common challenge faced by many industries is how to collect, integrate, store, process and decipher data for practical insights. Nonetheless, the big data analytics architecture of Industry 4.0 can help companies analyze and examine large data sets to uncover market trends, capture new patterns behind the data, and uncover hidden correlations between data, enabling companies to make real-time decisions.
artificial intelligence
In a smart factory, production processes are seamlessly connected and multi-dimensionally integrated, allowing machines, interfaces and components to communicate with each other. During this process, a large amount of data can be collected to optimize the production process. Even in production facilities, AI-enabled systems can identify objects on conveyor belts and automatically sort products based on pre-set shapes, colors and sizes. The intelligent system also uses image analysis and image recognition to detect defective products.
cloud
With the continuous expansion of the scale of industries related to Industry 4.0, cloud computing has become an inevitable development trend. Industries ranging from agriculture, aerospace, construction to chemical industry can use cloud computing to meet a variety of customer needs. Cloud platforms can provide unparalleled computing, storage and communication capabilities to help industries optimize business processes, run related applications, and leverage massive amounts of big data to enhance operability and visibility.
Cyber Physical System
Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) have introduced new production methods in traditional industries. Manufacturing driven by Industry 4.0, supported by CPS, enables real-time data collection and analysis, and all aspects of production steps are open and transparent. However, with the deepening of Industry 4.0, increased connectivity and the use of standard communication protocols, the need to protect critical industrial systems and production lines from cyber-attacks has grown. Therefore, the role of the CPS is equivalent to that of the intelligence center, which can automatically coordinate, monitor and control operations at all levels, manage communications and access, and achieve greater security.
Augmented Reality
In the context of Industry 4.0, Augmented Reality (AR) technology provides a perfect way for corporate employees and technicians to present relevant information. With AR and VR technology, technicians can view relevant information in real-time on operational tasks, mechanical failures, etc., and refer to user guides when necessary. They can even contact experts to get help in real time through AR technology. Another huge advantage of AR technology is its ability to enhance industry training and learning while reducing risk and cost.
digital twin
Industry 4.0 is making production processes increasingly digital, and many companies are struggling to figure out how to realize and enhance real value both operationally and strategically. With the help of the digital twin concept, companies can characterize the prototype of a physical product through a digital model, quickly detect problems with the product, and then shape a better product and accurately predict the results. Not only that, but the convergence of Industry 4.0 and digital twins will enable industries to rapidly launch new products, improve operations, and introduce new business models to boost revenue.
The above mentioned are just some of the technologies that can unlock the potential of Industry 4.0. When implementing Industry 4.0 in manufacturing, adopting these hot technologies can gradually improve business operations. If companies need end-to-end Industry 4.0 implementations and services, then Avnet’s Softweb Solutions is the ideal partner.
Softweb Solutions’ intelligent solutions can help manufacturing companies connect multiple production lines and machinery, acquire data at different stages from different sources, and develop functions and applications such as remote monitoring, edge analytics, predictive maintenance, and digital twins. Help companies move towards Industry 4.0 by disrupting existing production processes and making them smarter and more efficient.
The Links: CM300DY-12HE LB064V02-A1
