9 Technologies in Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 is a promising approach based on the integration of the business and manufacturing processes, according to Angela Merkel on the World Economic Forum (WEF) four years ago. Professor Klaus Schwab, a German economist who coined the term Industry 4.0, also stated the same. He said that traditional thinking would not work anymore.

Germany is undeniably the country that successfully embraces and adopts the concept. One of its strategies is using technologies that enable data exchange and collection in real-time.

Boston Consulting Group has identified Industry 4.0’s nine technological pillars as follow: big data analytics, autonomous robots, simulation, and horizontal and vertical system integration, internet of things, cybersecurity, cloud, additive manufacturing, and augmented reality.

Big data analytics is the process of collecting, organizing and analyzing data to find out the patterns, including trends and other valuable information. Big data analytics can help organizations to understand the information contained within the data and would help identify the data that is most vital to the business. Then, it would be beneficial for the implementation of effective marketing to increase efficiency and improve customer’s best experience.

Autonomous robots are being utilized by many industries to carry out specific, complex tasks. As technology changes rapidly, robots are becoming more independent, flexible, and cooperative. In the future, robots interact with one another and also work side by side with humans.

3D Simulations will improve the effectiveness as it reduces the cost of spare part inventories, especially one that pricey. 3D simulation is also used to make prototypes of the new product design.

Horizontal and Vertical System Integration help the integration of the production process with better improvement. As universal data integration is evolving and enabling the automated value chains, the Industry 4.0 technology offers companies, departments, functions, and capabilities to become more cohesive.

Internet of Things (IoT) is a concept of leveraging the benefits of internet connectivity, allowing devices to interact and communicate with one another. The interrelated devices can share data and information, control remotely, and more.

Cyber-security is a technology designed to protect networks, computers, and data from hackers or unauthorized access. Along with the increase of connectivity in Industry 4.0, cybersecurity is crucial to protect digital-based information from the cyber-crime threat.

Cloud-computing is a data storage technology that utilizes virtual servers as storage media. It is a supporting infrastructure for other technologies in industry 4.0, such as big data analysis, internet of things, and artificial intelligence.

Additive Manufacturing can be used for prototyping and producing individual components. These additive-manufacturing methods will be widely used to produce small batches of customized products.

Augmented Reality (AR) includes certain information into the virtual world and displays it in the real world. A great example of AR technology is the Dulux’s application that allows its users to see Dulux paint colours their walls instantly simply by moving their smartphone or tablet around the room. (Ast/Lbk/Pas)