Industry 4.0
Developed and industrialised countries are using technologies to setup up Industry 4.0 to defend their competiveness in manufacturing. Concurrently, competition is getting stronger and fiercer. It is important to constantly increase productivity while meeting the customers' new demands for high quality and customised products within shorter time intervals.
Positively, Industry 4.0 is more of an evolution in many small footprints that will essentially change the way manufacturing and industry does business. The ideal scenario pictures a self-controlling production process, in which production reacts autonomously and takes suitable measures.
We are presently at the start of such a development, which will gradually become conventional in industry. India seems to possess an inherent advantage in creating attractive frugal solutions with global appeal. India has a well-paid middle class, but the masses are struggling.
Industry gets the masses into jobs therefore Modi decides to go for Make in India. The ‘Make in India' initiative will also take in a character of smart manufacturing which will guarantee superior adoption of automation and world class manufacturing practices.
The Need of the hour
The application of Industry 4.0 is already in progress in industrialised countries like Germany, US. IoT is not only transforming factory control and production structures, it is also increasing agility and flexibility in the production process. The starting point for India is excellent - broad knowledge in classical manufacturing, IT knowledge and a huge pool of highly motivated workers.
We, as an industry, need to do to accelerate time to market, reduce costs, raise quality, lower energy consumption and increase customisation. Consider technologies that manage themselves, where smart products can take remedial action to evade damages and where individual parts are automatically replenished.
What are the opportunities and challenges that lie in the future for manufacturers and what will it take to manage this? The expedition of creating and developing smart factories will be a complex and evolutionary. Requirements for innovation are diverse as these will play an instrumental role in manufacturing the smart.
With Industry 4.0 beginning, the Gen Z manufacturers will look absolute different from what we see today and we can anticipate a smart creation of the world with smart industries helping emerging nations to gain global competitiveness.
Of course, smart manufacturing isn't just about equipment. Leaders must also rethink the way they hire and organise workers. The total realm of manufacturing is going to renovate and become entirely connected and networked with machines analysing almost every aspect of the manufacturing process.
The author is Vice President, Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions.
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