Industry 4.0 stands for the connection of industrial production with advanced information and communication technology. The result: production processes are independently coordinated by intelligent machines.
In Germany, the term “Industry 4.0” was first introduced in 2011 at the HANNOVER MESSE and defines the digital agenda of the German Federal Government under the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology as well as the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.* It stands for the connection of industrial production with advanced information and communication technology. The result: production processes are independently coordinated by intelligent machines, service robots cooperate in an intelligent way with humans during the assembly and (unoccupied) transportation vehicles complete logistic orders autonomously.
“Industry 4.0” – the Next (R) Evolutionary step
Towards the end of the 18th century, “Industry 1.0” was introduced by the launch of mechanic production facilities. With the invention of mass production at the end of the 19th century, “Industry 2.0” was introduced due to the use of conveyor belts and electrical energy. The “Industry 3.0” and the use of electronic engineering and IT for the automation of the production superseded this in 1969. Due to various possibilities of the “Internet of Things” and intelligent machines, we are now on the cusp of the next revolution – the Industry 4.0.
Smart Factory – the Factory of Industry 4.0
Smart Factories are based on once passive parts, such as tools, machines or means of transport, which have been equipped with “eyes and ears” (sensors) and “hands and feet” (actuators) and are operated centrally via IT systems in real-time. Therefore, the complete lifecycle of a product, from the idea to the development, production, usage and maintenance up to the recycling is monitored and controlled.
Benefits of the Industry 4.0
The introduction of Industry 4.0 influences working and living environments of humans and enables a more efficient interaction between employees and intelligent production machines. This development opens up chances for reorganization of work, for example, healthy designed workplaces as well as flexible and family-friendly work time regulations.
Harry Prunk about SIKORA and Industry 4.0
“As an innovative technology company, SIKORA has always focused on the trends and the possibilities resulting from Industry 4.0. Almost every SIKORA device is now built with integrated WiFi (WLAN) or with a network interface to enable a network of several lines and even to connect complete production facilities. Industry 4.0 leads to optimized and reproducible processes. Furthermore, due to the intelligent recording and analysis of production data, our customers are able to produce more efficiently and with reproducible quality.”
