Some myths:
1. If an organization does few of these elements it could be recognized to be doing Industry 4.0?
2. If an organization gets a dynamic dashboard on Productivity, OEE, MTBF, MTTR, Inventory etc …it meet the requirements of Industry 4.0?
When one looks at the circle of 9 elements in the picture that comprise Industry 4.0 following candid observations may be made:
Most of Industry 4.0 ( The blue circles ) … are all about Data Automation; the blue circles have descriptors related to gathering, storing, processing, analysing, integrating and using data
Output Channels (The green circles )
- Robotic Automation is a means to outputting to the world of physical Automation based on data driven intelligence
- Additive Manufacturing in another means to output based on data driven intelligence in the field of physical manufacturing.
- CAD – CM is already well integrated with CNC Machining and Simulations already form supportive ecosystem for metal forming, welding, plastic moulding and other manufacturing processes.
Hygiene Requirement (The yellow circle )… Cyber security is a consequential hygiene requirement since use of CLOUD is foreseen in a big way for making just the right data available, anytime, anywhere.
Does Industry 4.0 make commercial sense?
Well, it makes our Industry and way of working “Future Proof”. With so much Data will come the brown circle “Artificial Intelligence” …the word AI has been used in slightly different sense …it is Intelligence and Wisdom based on senses that were heretofore not there naturally.
- This extra sensory perception is expected to lead to unprecedented intelligence.
- At the core of Industry 4.0 circle sits AI-ML that would drive the principal benefits through predictive and adaptive corrections / improvements in the way we work
- Augmented Reality artificially boosts the Data Recall effectiveness ; while the virtual world enriches our Predictive Side when we do similar activity next
- Finally, there is need to have the Data Processing and correction which should be fast enough to be able to adaptively correct something going astray in currently running processes.
Human claims all superiority to other animals solely based on additional data processing capability of brain … tomorrow those who do Industry 4.0 may evolve well beyond the others who do not pursue it. Therefore more than anything; for now it spells the dire need to evolve into it.
AVINASH KHARE