Backbone of Industry 4.0 :  Data Automation

IMTMA Technology Centre

When one looks at the circle of 9 elements that comprise Industry 4.0 following candid observations may be made:

Some posers:

  1. If an organization does few of these elements will it be considered to be doing Industry 4.0?
  2. If an organization gets a dynamic dashboard on Productivity, OEE, MTBF, MTTR, Inventory etc …does it meet the requirements of Industry 4.0?
  • It is all about Data Automation ; the blue circles have descriptors related to gathering, storing, processing, analysing, integrating and using data
  • Robotic Automation is a means to outputting to the world of physical Automation based on data driven intelligence
  • Additive Manufacturing in another means to output based on data driven intelligence in the field of physical manufacturing
  • Cyber security is a consequential hygiene requirement since use of CLOUD is foreseen in a big way
  • One question is often asked: Does Industry 4.0 make commercial sense? What tangible deliverables could be attributed to Industry 4.0? Well, it makes our Industry and way of working “Future Proof”. With so much Data will come the “Artificial Intelligence” …the word AI has been used in slightly different sense …it is Intelligence and Wisdom based on senses that were heretofore not there naturally.

This extra sensory perception is expected to lead to unprecedented intelligence.

  • At the core of Industry 4.0 circle sits AI-ML that would drive the principal benefits through predictive and adaptive corrections / improvements in the way we work
  • Augmented Reality artificially boosts the Data Recall effectiveness; while the virtual world enriches our Predictive Side when we do similar activity next
  • Finally, there is need to have the Data Processing and correction fast enough to be able to adaptively correct something going astray in currently running processes.
  • Human claims all superiority to other animals solely based on additional data processing capability of brain … tomorrow those who do Industry 4.0 may evolve well beyond the others who do not pursue it. Therefore, more than anything; it spells the dire need to evolve.

AVINASH KHARE
IMTMA-PUNE