What is INDUSTRY 4.0 ?

It is already gripping the industrial world but do you know what it is and is your business 'Ready for the Future'?



IOT, BIG DATA, COMMUNICATION

ANSWER - IT'S THE NEXT INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION.
Due to the advancement of technology, businesses are able to revolutionise their way of achieving results as they move towards digitisation which involves three key parts:-
Firstly it is the Internet of Things and cyber-physical systems such as sensors giving the ability to collect data that can be used by manufacturers and producers.
Secondly it is the accumulation of big data and powerful persuasive analytics which enable systems to trawl through data and produce insights that before couldn't be recognised and therefore now can act on this information quickly.
Thirdly it Is the communication infrastructure which is secure enough for heavy industries to take advantage of.
All this enables a higher level of digitisation which in turn enables the production line and supply chain to evolve to self-optimisation, self-configuration and artificial intelligence, which all play a part in creating a much more efficient and cost effective process.

big data, iot

IOT, BIG DATA, COMMUNICATION

Due to the advancement of technology, businesses are able to revolutionise their way of achieving results as they move towards digitalisation which involves three key parts
Firstly it is the Internet of Things and cyber-physical systems such as sensors giving the ability to collect data that can be used by manufacturers and producers.
Secondly it is the accumulation of big data and powerful persuasive analytics which enable systems to trawl through data and produce insights that before couldn't be recognised and therefore now can act on this information quickly.
Thirdly it Is the communication infrastructure which is secure enough for heavy industries to take advantage of.
All this enables a higher level of digitalisation which in turn enables the production line and supply chain to evolve. Ie self optimisation, self configuration and artificial intelligence. Which all play a part in creating a much more efficient and cost effective process.


Industry 4.0 - the seeds


Germany was the first to bring up the notion in 2013 where they created a plan to computerise the manufacturing industry reducing the need for human involvement, with the government investing €200 million in business and researchers to encourage advancement.

The United States have also made moves in this direction with the organisation known as SMLC (Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition) where government agencies, manufacturers, technology firms, universities etc. are all working towards the same end, creating an open platform for smart manufacturing for industrial networked information applications, enabling businesses of all sizes to have access to analytical technologies that can be customised for their needs.

General Electric (GE) described it as 'The industrial internet' where big data analytics combined with the Internet of Things can produce new insights and therefore growth for industries. Their 2015 report expects all manner of firms to be assisted by this new concept, be it power generation and distribution, aviation, oil and gas, transportation, manufacturing, healthcare, mining etc. They have a formula that starts with big data, and IoT plus products, equipment, factories, supply chains, Ai etc., and with technological expertise in analytics, the information formulated for the target be it equipment, product or the patient. - The industrial internet.

It is expected that this will have a huge influence for many years, as already large companies have signed up to be involved such as Amazon Web Services, Accenture, AT&T, EMC, Cisco and Intel.


Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 - the seeds


Germany was the first to bring up the notion in 2013 where they created a plan to computerise the manufacturing industry without the need for human involvement, investing €200 million for researchers in business and government to encourage advancement.

The United States have also made moves in this direction with the organisation known as SMLC (Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition) where government agencies, manufacturers, technology firms, universities etc. are all working towards the same end, creating an open platform for smart manufacturing for industrial networked information applications, enabling businesses of all sizes to have access to analytical technologies that can be customised for their needs.

General Electric (GE) described it as 'The industrial internet' where big data analytics combined with the Internet of Things can produce new insights and therefore growth for industries. Their 2015 report expects all manner of firms to be assisted by this new concept, be it power generation and distribution, aviation, oil and gas, transportation, manufacturing, healthcare, mining etc. They have a formula that starts with big data, and IoT plus products, equipment, factories, supply chains etc., and with technological expertise in analytics, the information formulated for the target be it equipment, product or the patient. - The industrial internet.

It is expected that this will have a huge influence for many years, as already large companies have signed up to be involved such as Amazon Web Services, Accenture, AT&T, EMC, Cisco and Intel.


Internet of things Industry

The Internet of Things


Due the volume of sensors and 'things' that can feed information into the manufacturing process, the Internet of Things, cyber-physical systems, a combination of software, processors and communications technology will all play a big part in Industry 4.0.

Anything involved with 'the internet of things' to increase automation is worth trillions and this includes Industry 4.0

Accenture's 2015 report concluded that Industry 4.0 could add £9.54 trillion to the world economy over the next 15 years and the UK alone could benefit by up to £352 billion.

Cisco, believes that UK start-ups have a massive chance to benefit by streamlining processes, and getting rid of inefficiencies in order to be in line for some of the £100 billion in benefits that could come from the industrial internet.

Siemens, already ahead of the game with a 'smart' factory in Germany had quoted IMS Research figures that showed the global market for industrial automation will post ever increasing growth in this area with approximately £134 billion in 2015.

The recognition in the value of using real-time big data giving higher productivity and reductions in cost, plus there will be another area where technologies of the future, such as 5G will play a part, will all make sure that 'things' are humming away at super efficiency for a long time to come.