Industry 4.0 – idea and possibilities
The core idea behind Industry 4.0 is the so-called Internet of Things and Services. IoT for short. Over the next few years, this global network will not only connect computers and cell phones, but also everything else imaginable. From robotic vacuum cleaners to cars, and even sensors and machines in factories. The Internet of Things is increasingly conquering production halls and supply networks. Due to the complexity of highly automated production, the quality, effectiveness and productivity of processes can hardly be monitored “manually”. Real-time data stream analysis can not only detect signs of machine wear, but also provide valuable information for future product and process optimization, improving capacity utilization and service development. And yet we are only just beginning to exploit these opportunities.
Industry 4.0 for individual products
The individualized production of Industry 4.0 creates products that are tailored to the individual wishes of customers. This is also the view of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. This requires means of production that are able to change their settings quickly. It also requires an infrastructure that enables automated and decentralized control of production orders.
Networking man and machine
Through the networking of man and machine, Industry 4.0 is creating a constant and enormous flow of useful information that is often referred to as big data. Big data refers to data volumes that are either too large, too fast-moving or too complex for conventional data analytics. In a factory, for example, this can consist of general information on the shape and properties of the material, but also possible production errors. With the help of a partially wireless network, the machines can exchange and evaluate this information independently.
Industry 4.0 leads to big data
Evaluation requires appropriate services that extract the relevant information from big data. For example, the data that a sensor collects on a machine is analyzed to find out when the machine needs to be serviced. This is called predictive maintenance. In this way, defective parts can be replaced before the machine breaks down. This kind of detailed analysis of large amounts of data is particularly useful in industrial production. A network of machines can then work much more autonomously and flexibly than before and adapt to customer requirements. These interconnected production machines already exist. Among other things, they use wireless transmission paths to communicate with each other.
