The Fourth Industrial Revolution: Industry 4.0

Mar 10, 2021

While many industries experience change and opportunity, manufacturing companies are embracing one in particular: Industry 4.0. This initiative joins Information Technology (IT) with Operational Technology (OT) to improve processes, increase automation, and support data exchange.

Industry 4.0 is often used interchangeably with the notion of the fourth industrial revolution. It is characterized by, among others, 1) more automation than in the previous revolution, 2) the linking of the physical and digital world through cyber-physical systems, enabled by Industrial IoT, 3) a shift to smart products and automation to define production steps, 4) closed-loop data models and control systems and 4) customize data and dashboards

Industry 4.0 is comprised of eight technology sectors that inspire new ways of thinking and working, Additive Manufacturing & Advanced Materials, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, Cloud Computing, Cyber Security, Modeling, Simulation, Visualization & Immersion, Robotics, and the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) are the key aspects of Industry 4.0.

There are numerous advantages to entering the fourth industrial revolution, each of which can have a great impact on your business. The pursuit of more efficient, customer-centric processes paired with Industry 4.0 pushes past optimization and leads to new opportunities and innovation.

Here are some insights into a few of the benefits of Industry 4.0:

  • Enhanced Productivity – Optimization and automation will lead to saved costs, increased profitability, limited waste, reduced opportunity for delays and errors, faster production, and overall improved function of the value chain.
  • Real-Time Optimization – Customers at every step of the value chain expect good products produced fast. By increasing automation, production increases to real-time operation leading to satisfying increased expectations while keeping the process moving forward.
  • Increased Business Continuity – Predictable and preventive maintenance as a result of digital technology means less downtime and fewer expenditures
  • Higher Product Quality – Cross-collaboration between departments and the ease of data sharing means improvement and modifications are made quickly which results in a higher quality of product
  • Lower Costs – Automation and system integrations also mean a reduction in waste, efficient use of resource and materials, reduction of downtime which ultimately leads to lower overall operating costs
  • Improved Agility – With real-time data available at your fingertips, being able to forecast and pivot become much easier
  • Innovation – Increased visibility across production lines, distribution chains, and supply chains allow for innovation and improvement whether it be for process enhancement or new product development.

There’s no doubt Industry 4.0 has enabled manufacturers to increase operational visibility, reduce costs, expedite production times, and deliver exceptional customer support. Over the coming months, William Vaughan Company is going to explore various topics involving the importance of this new era, strategies to implement, and ways to leverage Industry 4.0 to help you lead in the markets where you compete. Stay tuned for more on Industry 4.0.

Categories: Manufacturing & Distribution