Digitalization has transformed our world, and the internet and modern technologies are increasingly shaping the development of manufacturing. We are facing a major shift—Industry 4.0. In the context of Industry 4.0, production systems and equipment are exhibiting entirely new demands—they must be flexible in the face of ever-changing finished products.
Let's review the development of the industrial revolutions so far:
The First Industrial Revolution, marked by the advent of water power and the steam engine, brought people's first access to a wide variety of goods. The Second Industrial Revolution involved the use of electricity, enabling mass production. In the Third Industrial Revolution, the application of computers has led to significant advancements in product quality. The extensive use of robots in manufacturing requires the support of data networks and further upgrades. Industry 4.0 will promote widespread personalization, fundamentally changing how products are produced and sold.
Digitalization has transformed our world; the internet and modern technology are increasingly shaping manufacturing, and we are facing a major shift—Industry 4.0.
Industry 4.0 – Network Factory
The Fourth Industrial Revolution not only encompasses the development of transportation systems within factories but also transforms the world outside, altering the entire logic of production. Consequently, intelligent machines and products, storage systems and resources are interconnected throughout the value chain via IT, from logistics to production and marketing, and then to services.
Industry 4.0 – Five Advantages
1. High competition intensity
2. Flexible production
3. Separate production
4. Innovate business models
5. New job
Industry 4.0 – Framework Conditions
Add data communication to the already lowest level of the production process;
Industry 4.0 – Requirements
The component must provide (collect) the required data.
Seamless communication between sensors and the Internet
Infrastructure for data transmission
Industry 4.0 – Applications
Enterprise Resource Planning
ERP is a business management software that companies can use to collect, store, manage, and interpret data from numerous business activities, including product planning, costing, manufacturing or service delivery, marketing and sales, inventory management, transportation, and payments. Efficient operational value creation processes ensure continuous optimization and control over business and operational processes.
ERP provides an integrated view of core business processes, typically through a real-time, shared database. ERP systems track the status of business resources—cash, raw materials, production capacity—as well as business commitments: orders, purchase orders, and payroll. They ensure that all materials needed for production are in the right place at the right time, facilitated by IT systems and their modern information and communication technologies.
Manufacturing Execution System
MES (Manufacturing Execution System) is applied to production management systems, focusing on the operational level of the process. Unlike ERP and similar systems, MES can directly access the process subsystems of a division. MES tracks and records the transformation of raw materials into finished products. MES provides the right information at the right time, showing manufacturing decision-makers "how to optimize current shop floor conditions to increase production output." MES can control multiple elements in the production process (such as inputs, personnel, machines, and support services) in real time. This includes data collection and preparation, such as the collection of factory data, the recording of machine data, and the collection of personnel data, as well as all processes, directly impacting manufacturing and production processes.
SCADA - Monitoring and Data Acquisition
SCADA is a computer system that collects and analyzes real-time data. SCADA systems are network control systems used to monitor, control, and optimize industrial plants.
PLC - Programmable Logic Controller
A programmable logic controller (PLC) is a digital computer used to control or regulate machines or systems. Over the years, it has replaced "hard-wired" control in most fields.
The vision of Industry 4.0 necessitates new requirements for production systems and equipment, demanding flexibility in handling ever-changing manufactured goods. This means production will become more personalized, flexible, and rapid, thus requiring the measurement industry to offer numerous new measurement technologies.
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