Digitalised industry or 4.0
The first industrial revolution used steam power to mechanise manual labour. The second used electricity to develop mass production. The third employed electronics and information technology to automate production. The fourth revolution, or Industry 4.0, envisages the digital transformation of the industrial system, thanks to a combination of technologies that enable the creation of an ecosystem of smart factories, machines and objects capable not only of communicating with each other, but also with their environment.
One way in which the elements of digitisation are described is in the Circular 4/E of the Ministry of Economic Development and the Revenue Agency in 2017 illustrated. According to the authors of the circular, digitisation takes place along five lines:
- Interconnection - The possibility for an asset to exchange information with internal systems, e.g. with the management system
- Virtualisation - The possibility of creating a 'virtual copy' of the real system
- Decentralisation - The possibility for the various components that make up a production plant to implement appropriate strategies (e.g. to correct process drifts)
- Remote interaction - The possibility of accessing the various devices remotely so that data on operation can be recorded (e.g. remote maintenance)
- Real-time processing and reaction - The ability to collect process data in real time and execute the corresponding actions
The technological elements of Industry 4.0
Advanced production systems are represented by autonomous robots and intelligent machines. Autonomous robots are anthropomorphic and mobile robots that are able to cooperate with each other and with humans and can be easily programmed.
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Intelligent machines are to be understood as machines characterised by a great ability to adapt to the variability of the production environment. In these machines, interaction with humans is pushed to the maximum and is expressed in two ways: through the return of data that can be profitably used for the application of data analytics and through the human-machine interface.
The term additive manufacturing refers to the manufacturing process by deposition of layers of liquid, solid or powder material. Additive manufacturing is no longer regarded as a mere rapid prototyping technology, but as a true manufacturing technology for the production of components and finished products.
Augmented reality technology enables the enrichment of reality by adding virtual information that is detectable by the user in real time.
The integration promoted in the context of Industry 4.0 is characterised by the external dimension (i.e. integration between suppliers and customers in the same supply chain) and the internal dimension (i.e. mutual communication between machines in the factory).
Cloud computing is defined as a model that allows widespread, dedicated, on-demand network access to a group of configurable resources.
Big Data-The expanded volume, variety and velocity of data from machines on the factory floor must be managed with appropriate tools and is critical in Industri 4.0
Evolution of volume and variety
The elements that characterise this economic and social period are speed and flexibility from which arises a strong complexity in the management of production and distribution processes. Despite the stimuli coming from smart factory concepts, it remains difficult to overcome the Taylorist model of production on which companies have been formed and evolved. Idral, on the other hand, seeks to implement the organisational model of a manufacturing company in the era of technological innovation, i.e. increasingly oriented towards management by flows and no longer by homogeneous processes. The challenges to be faced can be characterised by:
- Increasingly low volumes
- high product variety (customisation) and complexity
- intermittent flows
- complex and variable processes
Faster design and industrialisation, and lower prototyping costs, allow for greater product customisation.
Lean production process
The construction of an automated warehouse at Idral for the supply of components to the assembly table in 'real time' linked to the production order of the product to be assembled constitutes an innovative production process change and helps, with the support of technology, to reduce production time and make the production process more 'lean'.
The scale of the digital transformation is greater than in the past. It is not easy to combine different technologies in a way that creates product or process innovation. Clearly, there is a need to invest in technology, but it must be accompanied by a reorganisation of processes to accommodate these technologies and training of the people who will then have to use and exploit them. The current trend towards retraining the workforce will clearly be consolidated in the future. Not the fear of possible job loss, but the courage and confidence in one's own abilities, the willingness to qualify, and the choice to implement digitisation will mark an incisive improvement in competitiveness and with it the success of our company. Our committed, competent and productive employees are and remain the main and irreplaceable success factor.
One of the main objectives of digitisation within the factory, especially in the production-logistics area, is undoubtedly to increase process efficiency.
Product innovation and customer relations
In addition to this aspect, there are also impacts on the products and services offered and the way of interacting with customers. Product positioning and service logics are influenced by the introduction of digital technologies in the industrial area.
by Ing.J.Schweitzer
Industrial Director