Exploring Smart Factory (Industry 4.0) with 5G

A smart factory is an intelligent factory that is characterized by connectivity and digitalization in the production or manufacturing structure that depends on the utilization of machinery connected to the internet. Data is stored in the cloud and used to monitor and control production or manufacturing processes. The stored data is also used to make decisions and resolve issues that may arise.

Industry 4.0 is the current trend in manufacturing that combines computation, network, and physical process integrations (cyber-physical systems), automation, and the Internet of Things (IoT) to create a smart factory. In a smart factory, machines are connected to the cloud via smart sensors and other smart devices. Smart factories merge the virtual world with the physical world.

Industry 4.0 is a new phase in the industrial revolution that increases production and efficiency with reduced cost. Many industries are now looking toward upgrading...

Understanding Industry 4.0

To have a better understanding of Industry 4.0, we need to understand the industrial revolution.

The industrial revolution refers to the transition and changes in industrial or manufacturing processes with new innovative technologies.

Let’s take a look at a brief history of the industrial revolution and its transitions:

• The first industrial revolution (Industry 1.0) started around 1784. Here, machines were used in industries and powered by steam.
• The second industrial revolution (Industry 2.0) started around 1870. Here, electricity was introduced in powering industrial machines. The mass production process also came into play during the second industrial revolution. Assembly lines operated by humans were used for mass production.
• The third industrial revolution (Industry 3.0) started around 1969. In this revolution, automation was introduced into industrial processes. It was during this revolution that industrial processes started...

Exploring the key technologies in Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 implements various existing technologies in a more advanced way. The key technologies in Industry 4.0 are as follows:

• Internet of Things (IoT): This refers to a network of physical objects or devices that collect data with the help of sensors and communicate with each other via the internet. In the manufacturing or other production industry, IoT is a technology that allows field devices (sensors and actuators) to communicate with each other with little or no human intervention. This is called Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). IIoT is a component of Industry 4.0. It enables manufacturers to monitor the status, performance, and health of devices, schedule predictive maintenance, or perform remote troubleshooting and improve operation safety and security.
• Robotics: Robots are programmed machines that can carry out a series of tasks with little or no human intervention. They can make decisions based on input and...

The benefits of Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 comes with various benefits:

• It increases productivity: Industry 4.0 increases productivity because more can be produced faster. Industry 4.0 reduces downtime, leading to more production.
• It increases efficiency: Since Industry 4.0 reduces downtime, more products are produced faster.
• Flexibility: Industry 4.0 makes your industry or manufacturing process flexible as you can easily scale production up or down. It is also easy to introduce new products to a production line.
• Cost reduction: Industry 4.0 reduces production or manufacturing costs due to automation, IoT, and other technologies that have been integrated into the manufacturing processes. However, you will need to invest some amount of money at the setup stage.
• Increased revenue: Industry 4.0 increases revenue due to automation and other industry 4.0 technologies that have been implemented. Less staff will be required to carry out tasks in many cases.
• Worker...

Basic steps for building a smart factory

The following points will help in developing a smart factory:

• Know your needs and define your goals: Just like any other investment, you must first identify the reasons why you want to build a smart factory, define the goals, and prioritize them. A smart factory is usually created in phases. Understanding your needs and goals and prioritizing them will help you invest in the right equipment or tools at the right time in each phase.
• Start with the areas that will be most beneficial: You don’t have to start with all areas of your facility at once. You can make your smart factory implementation a gradual process.
• Train your personnel on the new technology: A smart factory involves new technologies that your existing staff might not be conversant with. It is important to get your staff equipped with the required skills to work with the new equipment and devices required in a smart factory.
• Hire a skilled workforce: Besides...

The benefits of a 5G-enabled smart factory

The following are the benefits of using 5G in a smart factory:

• With 5G, more smart sensors and smart devices can be connected to the internet, boosting IoT capacity. This leads to a massively connected factory.
• 5G enables staff using AR/VR headsets to move freely on the factory floor and stay connected to the private 5G network. A 5G network can provide the high-speed requirement for AR/VR to function effectively.
• 5G enables staff to monitor machine performance, analyze production processes, and share that information between various smart factory locations for proper decision-making and planning. A 5G network enables large amounts of data to be analyzed at high speed.
• Robots are used extensively in industries to move products, and some are also designed to work alongside humans. Most of these industrial robots are powered by a wired network connection because the current wireless speed is not good enough to make them perform...

Connecting your PLC or machine data to the cloud

It’s important to discuss how our PLC data can get to the cloud since it’s key in a smart factory. In this section, we will briefly talk about the IIoT gateway, which is a key component required to get PLC or machine data to the cloud.

An IIoT gateway can be a piece of hardware or software that can integrate various devices such as sensors, actuators, PLC, and lots more, collect data from them, and transmit it to the cloud or local servers. It allows connected devices and the outside world (the cloud) to communicate. It can be referred to as a bridge that sits between connected devices in an industrial environment and the cloud. With the IIoT gateway, you can monitor and control machines or devices in the factory from anywhere in the world since the device’s data is available in the cloud. You can monitor the data via a dashboard on a PC, tablet, or smartphone connected to the internet; you can also...

Summary

Congratulations – you have completed the last leg of this book’s journey. Well done! You should now understand Industry 4.0. You should also be able to explain the key technologies of Industry 4.0, which include (IoT), AI, robotics, cloud computing, AR, and VR. You have also learned the benefits of Industry 4.0, the steps for building a smart factory, and the benefits of a 5G-enabled smart factory. The last section, Connecting your PLC or machine data to the cloud, explained an important component (IIoT gateway) that’s required to connect PLC data, sensors, and actuators to the cloud.

Thank you for taking the time to read this book. I hope that the information provided has helped you gain new skills in the field of industrial automation or improved your industrial automation skills. Effort has been made to make this book hands-on and practical enough. I advise you to download the necessary software as instructed, install it, and follow the steps as...

Questions

The following questions have been provided to test your understanding of this chapter. Ensure you have read and understood the topics in this chapter before attempting these questions:

1. The _________________ industrial revolution involves mass production through the use of assembly lines consisting of machines that are powered by electricity.
2. In the _____________ industrial revolution, industrial machines can think, make decisions, and communicate with each other over the internet with little or no human intervention.
3. The _________________ refers to a network of physical objects or devices that collect data with the help of sensors and communicate with each other via the internet.
4. With ______________, machines can now learn, think, and act like humans.
5. ______________ is a method used to train a computer or machine to learn from its inputs without explicit programming it for every situation.
6. _________________ involves storing data on the internet...