What is Industry 4.0?
Industry 4.0 is more than just a trending topic or the latest buzzword. Our Team at Hargrove Controls + Automation is taking Industry 4.0 from conceptual ideas to actual, practical implementation solutions. Not only do our implementations drive value today, they also lay the necessary foundation for tomorrow’s advancements.
The focus of Industry 4.0 is connecting the physical world with the digital world. These technologies create digital simulations of physical systems, apply machine learning algorithms to process data, and leverage business enterprise systems to make informed operational decisions. Why is this commanding so much attention? Industry 4.0 is already working for your market competitors to increase margins and lower product cost. Are you ready to compete?
Whether you are interested in fully harnessing digitalization or implementing it on a smaller scale, you must bridge the gaps in your current plant floor automation systems. Hargrove is here to help assess your readiness, execute any necessary upgrades, and mitigate concerns that may be preventing you from embracing the benefits of modern Industry 4.0 technologies.
The Evolution of Industry 4.0
What we think of as the Industrial Revolution, starting in the late 1700s, is considered the first industrial revolution. The second occurred in the early 1900s as electrification and assembly lines became common and railroads and telecommunications were introduced. In the 1980s and 1990s, the third industrial revolution brought computers, electronics, and automation. Each has built on the others, and Industry 4.0 takes automation and computerized manufacturing to the next level.
History of Industrial Revolutions
Industry 4.0
Explore Emerging Industry 4.0 Trends
Big Data + Analytics
Harvesting information from silos of business, maintenance, and automation enables our Team to generate insights and apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) to predict, prescribe, and optimize maintenance and operations.
Predictive ➔ Prescriptive Maintenance
Engaging in predictive maintenance reduces costly unplanned downtime with earlier and more accurate failure detection. With prescriptive (targeted) maintenance, we reduce your maintenance spend on routine items, optimize maintenance scheduling, and ensure that maintenance activities you choose to perform are effective.
Augmented Reality (AR)
AR technology integrates digital models to physical assets. With true-to-design implementation, there is less room for error. Potential challenges can be visualized, identified, and prevented in the design phase, rather than mitigated later in the execution phase. AR technology can also be used at the operations level, allowing your Team to interact with the process while on the plant floor – from physically manipulating the process to training procedures and remote support.
Cloud Computing
Cloud Computing allows plants to access high-end computing power and software platforms without investing in local hardware and manpower. This is a cost-effective way for facilities to power up their insights without increasing management workload.
Cybersecurity
All facilities must be concerned with cybersecurity, and this concern has only increased with the additional connectivity required to seize opportunities presented by Industry 4.0. As our technology evolves, threats become more persistent and targeted. By securing your perimeters and implementing robust processes, we can assist you in protecting your assets and mitigate your risk.
Additive Manufacturing
Also known as 3D printing, additive manufacturing helps define, design, and iterate prototypes with speed, and is transitioning from a prototyping tool to an actual manufacturing process. Rather than waiting for new stamps to be made or new tooling to arrive, teams can rapidly respond to customer demands and market opportunities. Lighter, stronger parts and materials also create cost savings and new design possibilities.
Getting Started
Industry 4.0 technologies enable your team to meet your facility’s increasingly demanding targets. However, not all technologies will be appropriate for each unique situation. To start, consider the following questions.
When subcontracting a systems integrator, a stand-alone EPC firm may not engage that resource until the design is complete and programming is ready to begin. With controls experts as part of the team, we are able to get involved much sooner for seemingly smaller decisions that can have a big impact down the road. For example, early on in the project, our Controls + Automation Teammates can help make control system architecture decisions. We’re also able to engage with the engineering team to manage how to interface with and configure third party systems. Making these decisions early, with all phases of the project fully considered, reduces late changes in projects and is a cost savings for clients.
- Where do you stand today?
- What are your challenges?
- What’s holding you back?
- Where would you like to improve?
- Is your infrastructure ready to embrace Industry 4.0? Is it cybersecure?
- Are your people ready to embrace Industry 4.0?
Whether you are interested in fully harnessing digitalization or implementing it on a smaller scale, you must bridge the gaps in your current plant floor automation systems. Hargrove is here to help assess your readiness, execute any necessary upgrades, and mitigate concerns that may be preventing you from embracing the benefits of modern Industry 4.0 technologies.