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Industry 4.0: the next industrial revolution | In-depth | The Engineer

Industry 4.0: the next industrial revolution

11 July 2013 | By Sam Shead
Intelligent factories that link up every part of the production chain with next generation wireless
automation could mark a sea change in manufacturing.
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 were in
now) came over the next few decades as electronic systems and computer technologies helped to
further automate production lines. So whats 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.
These are systems that have both a computational element and a physical interaction with the real
world, he said. What it essentially means is there will be increasing levels of intelligence in devices
that are used in industrial environments like factories.
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.
Were moving on to being able to communicate wirelessly with a broader range of devices in an
industrial environment, said Holliday. That means, for example, not just the internet of things, as we
would understand it in the consumer environment, but intelligent industrial devices communicating
with each other in a way that is dramatically beyond what is available today.
Up until now there hasnt been a way of linking the isolated elements of production chains, according
to Dr Werner Struth, who sits on Boschs 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.
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.
It is easier for manufacturers to produce customised products when each product has its own digital
tag, according to Holliday, who added that there has been a rise in customer expectations in the
automotive sector when it comes to customising a vehicle. This is placing demand on the production
environment, which means we are now looking at factories that are not just mass producing but are
able to customise and mass produce. So customised mass production, said Holliday.
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Industry 4.0: the next industrial revolution | In-depth | The Engineer

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 youve 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. Germanys National Academy of
Science and Engineering even argues that this new technological revolution could lead to a 30 per
cent increase in industrial productivity.
At this point in time, nobody is in a position to prove or disprove this claim, said Struth. The 30
per cent figure is more of a symbol that there is room for significant improvement in productivity.
The exact efficiency savings will vary depending on the particular area of application, he added. To
increase the efficiency of complex, large-scale series production by 30 per cent is undoubtedly a
challenge, but small-scale series production might see even greater advances in productivity.
But Germany isnt 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 Fords engine assembly machines ahead of their physical build at a factory in
Dagenham in east London.
It is happening here but the Germans 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 industrys future needs in a cohesive way.
The next generation of manufacturing isnt without its challenges. Industry 4.0 requires a certain
level of openness from all market players, that is to say standardization, in particular when it comes
to exchanging data, said Struth. There is also a call for solutions that can be integrated into the
existing manufacturing base in a smart and cost-effective way.
Industry 4.0 is a 20-year journey, said Holliday. Its not something thats going to come about in
two or five years 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.
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