Working towards Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing
Working towards Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing.
Over the years there have been any number of new manufacturing buzz words and initiatives, but whether you refer to it as Industry 4.0, IIoT, M2M or any other acronym, there seems little doubt Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing are here to stay.
Industry 4.0 is an overarching strategy, and Mitsubishi Electric’s Chris Evans looks why it has captured the imagination of many engineers and futurists from around the globe. The four design principles that define Industry 4.0 are:
– Interoperability
Machines, devices, sensors and people connecting with each other via the Internet of Things (IoT) or Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
– Information transparency
The aggregation of raw sensor data to higher-value context information.
– Technical assistance
Systems aggregating and visualizing information for humans to make informed decisions and solve urgent problems. Plus, cyber physical systems undertaking tasks too taxing for human co-workers.
-Decentralized decisions
The ability of cyber physical systems to make decisions on their own and to perform their tasks as autonomously as possible.
We can be sure that for those engineers, designers and companies that are searching for new industrial solutions and taking an active role in automation. Industry 4.0 will happen. The driving force behind these developments is greater efficiency, increased competitiveness, extended functionality and improved reliability. These drivers are universal and current.
To this end, Mitsubishi Electric Automation Systems is acting as a development partner for achieving all four of the Industry 4.0 principles, either in-house or working with partner companies.
Joining forces Smart Manufacturing
Delivering real-world projects is the only way to validate the success of Smart Manufacturing. By helping customers gain the greatest benefit possible from advancing automation we are part of the global process of digitalisation.
For Mitsubishi, working with like-minded businesses to create the ‘smart factory’ comes under our e-F@ctory umbrella. This encompasses the e-F@ctory Alliance, which is a global network of partners with over 300 members worldwide, it includes manufacturers of industrial components as well as specialist system integrators and software providers. All partners offer complimentary technologies that provide the customer with “best in class” solutions.
The path to Industry 4.0 also reflects the four goals of interoperability, information transparency, technical assistance and decentralised decisions.
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