The productivity of the manufacturing industry has undergone three profound changes, the first being centered on water and steam power, also known as the Industrial 1.0 era. The second industrial revolution was the era of electricity, with the advent of generators and a leap in productivity. The third is the computer era, where breakthroughs in electronic computer technology have promoted the development of production automation. Today, we are ushering in the fourth industrial revolution, the era of Industry 4.0 with information technology as its core.
Industry 4.0 or the Industrial Internet of Things refers to connecting all production elements such as equipment, computers, people, and products, collecting rich big data from them, and then guiding production through data analysis, ultimately achieving the highest efficiency of the production line. In fact, Industry 4.0 is about using information technology to improve the flexibility and efficiency of factories and help enterprises provide competitiveness.
So, in the era of Industry 4.0, what changes will happen to the robot industry? In recent years, robots have developed into a major role in the manufacturing industry. Machine replacement has alleviated the pressure of difficult recruitment in factories, improved the production efficiency of factories, and played an indispensable role in the modern manufacturing industry. When industrial robots encounter Industry 4.0, subtle changes will occur. Some robot manufacturers have begun to utilize the Industrial Internet of Things to achieve online monitoring, predictive maintenance, process optimization, and other aspects, raising the level of robot capabilities to a higher level.
1. zero downtime
In the rush of production lines, machines are constantly running, and factories are creating value every second. Production managers do not want the machine to stop, but machine wear and failure are difficult to avoid, and the ideal 24-hour non-stop operation is difficult to achieve. However, the technology of Industry 4.0 provides new ideas that can further ensure the normal operation of machines through industrial Internet of Things connectivity and monitoring.
The zero downtime solution enables production facilities to have the ability to perform predictive maintenance, capturing data from robots, and then processing it before a fault occurs, thereby avoiding unexpected downtime. As long as sufficient data is collected from the robot, it can be diagnosed based on its own small changes, and then adjusted to improve overall efficiency. By analyzing the data and mastering the condition of the machine, managers can arrange reasonable maintenance plans without unnecessary periodic maintenance.
2. Autonomous robot
The significance of Industry 4.0 mode is not just to prevent downtime, including industrial Internet of Things, information physical system, cloud computing, robotics, big data, edge computing and other technologies, integrating information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT), further improving the level of machines, making factory equipment more flexible and intelligent.
In the future manufacturing industry, robots will be connected to servers to achieve more reasonable scheduling control through big data analysis. With the help of information technology, the work of robots can be more coordinated and intelligent than ever before. For example, mobile robots in factories can identify the surrounding environment, successfully avoid obstacles, and effectively collaborate with other robots under the monitoring of scheduling systems.
The autonomous decision-making of robots comes from the analysis of the surrounding environment and more information support. They receive work signals from real-time production systems and manufacturing execution systems, and then perform autonomous work based on the signals, such as the supply of raw materials on the production line. Only when the robot knows the production status of the production line can it determine when to deliver materials.
In addition, robots can plan the best route through big data analysis to shorten the time of machine operation. Robots connected to cloud computing platforms can maximize equipment capacity and production efficiency through rich data insights, ensuring higher product quality.