"SUCCESS IS PROGRAMMABLE."
INDUSTRIE 4.0
The Digital Revolution
DIGITALIZATION AS THE KEY TO INDUSTRY 4.0
Industry 4.0 is a process of digitally interconnecting manufacturing machines with their periphery. This is done in a logical and structured way, taking corporate objectives as a guideline. It is a longterm process, in which dedicated actions are implemented at the focal points of production.
APPLICATION
Digital interconnection means that data and information – e.g. via OPC UA – are retrieved directly from production machines and stored in a central database, which, in most cases, is a module within a larger MES suite. This will render machine properties graphically representable and evaluable.
USE
Initially, the immediate goal is
often a visualization of downtime causes and an improvement of equipment availability.
As soon as data is centrally available, however, a variety of options offer themselves for the production, namely by integrating other, already existing systems into the digital network: e.g. for paperless production, automated product backtracing, inventory feedback to the ERP system, optimized maintenance, or detailed production planning with predictable production periods.
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TECHNOLOGICAL POSSIBILITIES
And fascinating new possibilities have been opened up by innovative technologies that have be- come market-ready by now: RFID transponders permit touchless product tracing at a cost of only cents, intelligent camera systems monitor product quality and help with positioning tasks, collabora- tive robot systems with integrated sensors work directly and without cell housing alongside humans.
