Will Industry 4.0 Truly Deliver on Its Promises?

In the recently published article “Is Industry 4.0 a Pipe Dream?”, author Claudia Jarrett explores the topic of the Industrial Internet of Things, or IIoT, or better yet, Industry 4.0, and how the ideas and visions around what this emerging industry could potentially come to realize one day are indeed exciting, they remain mostly theoretical. This is because to actually bring about change requires planning, cultural change, and new technology.

All of this begs the obvious question: Is industry 4.0 a pipedream?

Well, let’s start with the basics. In order for Industry 4.0 to truly be realized, manufacturing facilities must first be digitalized. This, of course, refers to the incorporation of industrial hardware, inventing of new technology, and implementation of innovative software.

Sure, within the greater Industrial vertical, there is an urgency to innovate, but rushing through these solutions for the mere sake of trying to be “cutting-edge.” According to the Engineering Employers’ Federation (EEF), the Industry 4.0 journey for most companies must address three distinct milestones — conception, evolution, and revolution. Each and every company looking to join the Industry 4.0 revolution is at a different stage of this journey and should focus on their own business and what’s realistically needed, as opposed to simply investing in the most exciting new technology.

So where does one even begin? First, let’s look at the idea of retrofitting. By retrofitting a few key components, companies can realize an easy, quick, and cost-effective towards realizing the modernization of their business. At a high level, retrofitting involves adding connectivity to existing machines to allow them to communicate and interact over the Internet as well as be remotely monitored and controlled. The best way to do this is to simply add sensors to the machines, which can be used for data acquisition. An alternative is to invest in slightly more comprehensive technology that can measure things like vibration temperature, current, and power consumption. Insight into this information can help companies better understand how equipment is performing, if service is required, etc., and all communication of this information can be transmitted wirelessly.

To further explore this topic, check out Jarrett’s full article, Is Industry 4.0 a Pipe Dream? on EETimes.