Industry 4.0 – what?

It is really the 'Internet of things' for industry, plus a bit more. The Internet of things means a world of connected devices, but in addition to wirelessly connected devices in factories, offices and on the person, there is a further element to Industry 4.0 that sees connected machines or other mechanical actors being 'cyber-physical'. The latter means tight integration between a system's computational and physical elements, with this also implying autonomous decision-making capability. Just to clarify, why Industry 4.0? Well, according to Siemens, Industry 1.0 was the industrial revolution in the mid-1700s to early 1800s, which saw machines take on large-scale manufacturing and doing the work of many individuals – weaving machinery, for example. Industry 2.0 was mass production, based on the division of labour, with this put at around 1870 – the first conveyor belt, in a Cincinnati slaughterhouse. Industry 3.0 was based on the use of electronics and IT to further automate production and is put at 1969, with the first programmable logic controller, a Modicon 084. Industry 4.0, says Siemens, is "based on the use of cyber-physical systems". So, Siemens sums up Industry 4.0, saying it is where "the product to be manufactured contains all necessary information on its production requirements; where there is self-organisation of integrated production installations, considering the entire value chain; and where there is flexible decision-making about production process on the basis of the current situation". Already gear producer Wittenstein Bastian GmbH in Fellbach, Germany, has commenced its journey to Industry 4.0. Starting 2012, the company has built a demonstration factory that will move, step by step, towards the ultimate goal. "The idea is that, in the future, machines, production equipment and semi-finished products will be continuously interlinked via the Internet, so that you can alter the specification of a gearwheel at the last minute, for example," explains Dr Manfred Wittenstein, managing board chairman of Wittenstein AG. Industry 4.0 "also contributes towards securing the future of Germany's industrial base", he says. And that's also why UK visitors should take an interest. To remain competitive. First published in Machinery, June 2013