Industry 4.0

AUTOMATICA ARG

Industry 4.0. What is it, advantages and disadvantages?

Do you know what Industry 4.0 is and how it can help your company ? He concept that was developed in its day from Germany makes reference to some aspects that you have surely heard: fourth industrial revolution, industry smart, interconnected industry or cyber industry. All this that sounds very Futuristic is nothing more than interconnecting all the points of a company to give instead of a much more intelligent company , automated and effective.

But surely you are interested in knowing what a fourth industrial revolution means, what advantages and disadvantages it brings to our organizations and how we are going to be able to face all these changes that are coming to us.

In this article we want to offer our vision of what is this industry 4.0 and everything that it brings with it.

What is Industry 4.0?

To explain what Industry 4.0 is , we will summarize it in the concept of create smarter factories . It's a new way to organize productive means to achieve greater efficiency. You sure have heard too the concept of smart factories, capable of adapting to the means of production, to the resources and thus get a better use of each of them.

We can define Industry 4.0 as the digitization of the industry and all the services that it entails. This aspect is due to the need for globalization in a development process that has accelerated by leaps and bounds in recent times.

That is, the virtual and real world merge in factories, applying new information technologies in all production processes. Now, the facilities are self-managed in a more autonomous way, making flexible responses and market demands.

Thus, the new industry requires concrete measures in a transitional framework to avoid deep inequalities at the sectoral level, but also at the individual and territorial. Thus, dual situations are avoided in remuneration and social conditions concrete. Moreover, it is therefore considered necessary to implement policies to support this new industrial reality .

¿La cuarta revolución industrial?

In 1784 the first mechanized system appeared through steam and hydraulic traction. Without a doubt, a true revolution in the productive system of the epoch.

In 1870 the first conveyor belt was created, a fact that facilitated the emergence of division of labor and serial production with electrical systems .

In 1969 the first programmable controller , what incorporates electronics to production automation.

Today all production processes are digitized based on the information technologies, connection through Internet of things (IoT) and new materials. That is, the fourth industrial revolution of which we are all witnesses and participants.

What characterizes the new Industry 4.0?

There are certain aspects that characterize the new Industry 4.0 and that differentiate it from the industry of other historical revolutionary moments also from vital importance in the past.

A basic point is found in automation and intercommunication . This has a special impact on an industrial scale, since it interconnects units productive, creates digital production networks and allows accelerating all kinds of resources in a much more efficient way. Thus, we can find four basic aspects:

• Automation.
• Digital access to the client and to many more users in less time.
• Connectivity.
• Digital information.

These four aspects of the new industry show the degree of transformation before the that we are currently in.

Now, the new Industry 4.0 is capable of providing new answers to customer requirements. That is, at the level of products, processes and models of business, the impact is decisive in a value chain, since it contributes novel Benefits. But it must also be emphasized that there are certain threats, since many Factors may be left out, such as some unskilled labor.

At the same time, the new industry incorporates great quality into its production , which is accompanied by a significant reduction in costs.

As is logical, digitization has a drastic impact on all factors social, and the industry is no stranger to it. So, just as we talked about Industry 4.0 as something revolutionary and historical, we could also refer to a new Society 4.0 that walks hand in hand, through elements such as electronic administration, specialized training, globalization, and, ultimately, a new world formed by Smart cities , where everything is smarter, more refined, constructive and beneficial.

Advantages of Industry 4.0

Immersed as we are in this new and fourth industrial revolution, it is worth it review the advantages of Industry 4.0 , which has them and are very numerous:

• More refined, repetitive processes are obtained without errors or alterations. So we achieved a uninterrupted production and available 24 hours hours of the day. A notable advantage for highly seasonal businesses, for example.
• Quality levels are optimized. Process automation allows greater precision in weights, measures and mixtures. Moreover, downtime is avoided and interruptions.
• Obviously, the higher the efficiency, the greater the cost savings. Automated processes require fewer staff, fewer errors and greater energy efficiency, materials raw, etc.
• Production times are drastically cut.
• Greater security is achieved for the personnel involved in each process. East point is especially important for work at high temperatures, with large weights or in dangerous environments.
• Production is much more flexible, since the product is adaptable to requirements of each particular company.
• The flow of data is now much more efficient thanks to communication networks. Reaction times and decision making are reduced.
• Obviously, business competitiveness is much higher. It gives better responding to the needs of the markets, offering high-quality products and react faster and more flexibly to changes.
• Ensures great potential to connect millions of people through digital networks.
• Thanks to the new industry, asset management is more sustainable, allowing even regenerate the natural environment.
• The efficiency of organizations improves efficiency in a manifest way.

Disadvantages of Industry 4.0

But not all are congratulations in the industrial revolution that we are experiencing. There are certain inconveniences of Industry 4.0 to which organizations must face. They stand out in this regard:

• Not all organizations are adapting rapidly to new methods. Of In fact, now that changes are faster every day, many industries are running the risk of becoming very out of date in a short time.
• Governments and their laws do not always change and evolve at speed that industry and technological advances require. However, they must regulate, and don't just focus on making a profit.
• We must be careful with the balances of power, since innovation and access resources can cause them to change excessively and even dangerously.
• Excessive industrial advances may allow companies to grow inequalities and that there is some social fragmentation.
• The personnel required in new processes is more specialized, and is not always easy access to these profiles, which also require higher remuneration.
• The cost of investment is now higher, especially at the beginning. No However, the ROI must be taken into account, and in the medium and long term, it recovers from There is plenty, but initially not everyone may be able to afford the costs.
• Industry 4.0 has a huge technological dependence, given the great required specialization in machinery. So needs develop specific new ones that must be identified and fixed as soon as possible.
• Obviously, technological obsolescence appears. The risk is very high and you must be taken into account in any initial project to calculate ROI and amortization investment, among other factors.

Broadly speaking, this is a good summary of Industry 4.0 , in which consists concretely, and what advantages and disadvantages it projects in our present, but also in the near future.

If you want AUTOMATICA ARG to help you in the automation process to get to industry 4.0 do not hesitate. Contact us .