A private wireless network (either 4.9G/LTE or 5G) is well-suited for the untethered devices and business-critical applications that operate in these environments. Factories also tend to have challenging layouts filled with obstructions, which can make it difficult to hardwire devices to a network. Product lines often need to be reconfigured or adjusted to respond to market needs. Flexibility on the factory floorĪ factory is not a static environment.

That means a robust, on-premises wireless network to connect to machines and workers, and an agile edge cloud infrastructure to connect the wireless network to applications running on local servers. But making it real requires the right networks and connectivity. Highly automated and flexible operations equipped with human augmentation will also help companies struggling with the availability of skilled labor in some markets and will give rise to a “new collar worker” according to Bell Labs Consulting. Augmented reality and virtual twinning can create detailed digital representations of products, eliminating the need to reconfigure factories to manufacture prototypes and test models. Sensors throughout the plant collect data that’s analyzed by cyber-physical systems and artificial intelligence, improving agility and real-time optimization of operations and workflow processes. This working group was headed by Siegfried Dais (Robert Bosch GmbH) and Henning Kagermann (German Academy of Science and Engineering).Īs Industry 4.0 principles have been applied by companies they have sometimes been re-branded, for example the aerospace parts manufacturer Meggitt PLC has branded its own Industry 4.0 research project M4.In an Industry 4.0-enabled facility, advanced robotics can move products to, from and around production, warehouse and loading areas, streamlining operations while protecting employees from potentially dangerous work. On 8 April 2013 at the Hannover Fair, the final report of the Working Group Industry 4.0 was presented. The Industry 4.0 workgroup members and partners are recognized as the founding fathers and driving force behind Industry 4.0. In October 2012 the Working Group on Industry 4.0 presented a set of Industry 4.0 implementation recommendations to the German federal government. The term “Industry 4.0” was publicly introduced in the same year at the Hannover Fair. The term “Industry 4.0”, shortened to I4.0 or simply I4, originated in 2011 from a project in the high-tech strategy of the German government, which promotes the computerization of manufacturing.

Industry 4.0 elements