Industry 4.0: Plotting the next manufacturing revolution

The confluence of advanced manufacturing technologies; cheap, ubiquitous sensors; automation; and communication networks in the cloud and on the shop floor is ushering in the smart factory and, some say, a manufacturing renaissance in the United States and Europe. A daylong conference session at the co-located MD&M Florida and PLASTEC South events later this month in Orlando, FL, will explore this topic in great detail. PlasticsToday spoke with some of the experts who will be participating in the session.

Integrating the physical and virtual worlds

In a feature article in the current issue of PlasticsToday, Karen Laird defines Industry 4.0 as a manufacturing technology that uses information and communication technologies to digitize processes and improve quality, lower costs and achieve unprecedented levels of efficiency.

"At the basis of this industrial digitization," writes Laird, "are so-called cyber-physical systems, which integrate the physical and virtual worlds. In a production environment, this means integrating operating technology with information technology, something that is accomplished by using embedded systems to monitor and control physical processes. Connecting all these sensor systems in networks to computing systems results in . . . the Internet of Things. Intelligence is no longer centralized in one place but is distributed across the entire system, to be accessed by machines, devices and users," notes Laird.

Automation plays a fundamental role in this new manufacturing paradigm, and a panel discussion, Man Meets Machine: Advances in Collaborative Robotics and Automated Intelligence, during the conference will explore this brave new world. Marc Ostertag, President, B&R Automation, a developer of factory and process automation software and systems headquartered in Egglesberg, Austria, and Nuzha Yakoob, Product Manager, Positioning, at automation specialist Festo (Esslingen am Neckar, Germany) are among the panel participants.

Collaborative robotics differs from conventional robotics in that it "breaks through the tradition of completely separating the work areas of machines and humans," explains Ostertag. You may have seen some cobots, as insiders like to call them, on display at trade shows, diligently working alongside humans without being segregated behind safety barriers. They operate at a slower pace than traditional robots and stand down the instant they sense an obstacle, human or otherwise, in the way of their task. They are also extremely flexible, and that is why cobots are seen as key elements of the smart factory. "A typical goal of an Industry 4.0 environment is flexibility," says Ostertag. "A combination of human labor and robotics is especially well suited to increase production flexibility."

Flexibility is also top of mind at Festo, which has developed adaptive grippers in that spirit. "We have a pilot project that involves fin grippers, which adapt to the shape of a product or part," says Nuzha Yakoob, Product Manager, Positioning, who will be participating in the panel with Ostertag. "Festo's overall technology aligns with Industry 4.0 objectives," adds Yakoob. He cites new-generation programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and motion controllers that exchange data horizontally (between other controllers and human-machine interface systems) and vertically (between the plant and manufacturing execution and enterprise resource planning systems).

A constant stream of data is also being generated by sensors, pressure regulators, valve terminals and related components that communicate via the IO-link protocol. "It enables diagnostic data monitoring, on-demand parameter modification, quick part swap out and configuration," says Yakoob, adding that this technology minimizes inventory as device characteristics can be configured to suit various applications. "Data can be exchanged between field level devices and supervisory PLCs/PC-based controllers and even manufacturing execution systems."

That's an awful lot of data floating around, which creates its own set of challenges, notes Yakoob. "The shear quantity of data that Industry 4.0 generates needs appropriate bandwidth, and security is also a concern." That will be part of the discussion at a couple of sessions during the Nov. 18 conference. Corey Morton, Director of Technology Solutions at B&R Automation, will discuss how to keep data and cloud-based systems safe; later in the day, Pete Sage, Chief Engineer, Intelligent Platforms at GE, will articulate strategies that manufacturers can employ to safeguard data and identify systemic vulnerabilities.

3D printing in the smart factory

Although additive manufacturing (aka 3D printing) is not integral to most definitions of Industry 4.0, it seems like a "smart" add on. Carl Dekker, an early adopter and advocate of 3D printing and President of Met-L-Flo Inc. (Sugar Grove, IL), a company that offers design, rapid prototyping, low-volume injection molding and bridge tooling services, will weigh in on the transformative potential of mass customization during the Industry 4.0 conference.

"Additive manufacturing now is advancing and improving design, meaning prototyping," says Dekker. "The technology is moving into general manufacturing with jigs, fixtures, tooling components, product preservation devices and so forth. It's a silent revolution," he adds, "that is integrating geometries to reduce time to manufacture." The 3D-printed fuel nozzles for the CFM LEAP aircraft engine are a prime example.

The new aircraft engine will contain 19 3D printed fuel nozzles in the combustion system, notes Dekker. The nozzles are 25% lighter and more durable than the predecessor part and have a radically simpler design—one part is used to make the nozzle instead of 18. "Cost is removed, because you are certifying just one part," says Dekker, "but you are also improving fuel efficiency through the part geometry, which would not be possible using other manufacturing methods."

Dekker, Yakoob and Ostertag will join several other speakers and panelists on day one of the MD&M Florida and PLASTEC South conference program, Industry 4.0: The Smart Manufacturing Revolution. Conference chair Benjamin Varghese, Emerging Technology Consultant, Cisco Systems, will deliver the opening remarks and Jim Beilstein, PhD, Chief Information Officer - Advanced Manufacturing Initiatives, GE, will follow with the keynote address. The exhibition and conference will be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL, on Nov. 18 and 19.