Over the centuries, the way in which Britain and the rest of the world have manufactured goods and developed new technologies has rapidly changed. In times gone by, we’ve experienced everything from The Agricultural Revolution, which saw innovations in farming that resulted in a population boom, to the Industrial Revolution, which capitalised on the larger city populations brought about by the Agricultural Revolution, to make considerable strides in the way we manufacture goods.
We’ve now arrived at a point in time that has been coined Industry 4.0, which is also known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Instead of focusing on new inventions such as steam power, or even the mass production of goods, Industry 4.0 leans more towards physical cyber systems, with connectivity being a core focus.
Present day manufacturers need to keep up to speed with Industry 4.0, which presents an opportunity to radically change the way industry responds to the needs of society. In today’s post, we will cover how manufacturers can best adopt Industry 4.0 to shed light on this topic.
Smart Machines
New technology is driving change across all areas of society. Not only do we increasingly use it in our personal lives, we also find our workplaces digitally evolving, with more and more processes now being undertaken using new innovations.
Many manual processes once performed by humans are now being automated, and this includes the collection and analysis of real-time data and artificial intelligence. Plus the ability for all components to talk to each other. Production can now be made to be really efficient and personalised according to customer needs, meaning time and labour can be freed up for concentrating on more complex tasks.
One such area of smart machines manufacturers can benefit from is predictive maintenance. Instead of waiting for a part of or a complete machine to break down or even become less efficient, many machines are now capable of indicating problems and even scheduling maintenance without the need for human input. It’s these types of innovations that are going to free up time and energy for human workers, meaning the output of goods will increase and with it profitability too.
Inter-Connected Supply Chains
The rise of internet shopping is a perfect example of how Industry 4.0 practices have already been adopted within manufacturing, not to mention related industries such as storage and distribution.
All of the steps involved from the order of materials to make the goods through to when the finished item is delivered to the customer involves many different processes.
But with everything from software to smart technology that can take over much and the time and effort involved, this can drastically speed up the processes and avoid financial losses for all parties. It also means businesses are now much more easy to scale because of this level of efficiency.
Figure Out The Role Of Human Labour
There is much talk of automation within practically every industry that exists, not least manufacturing. While it’s undoubtedly true that automation has replaced many blue collar type roles over the years, it’s also not the case that businesses can completely eradicate human labour altogether. After all, machines cannot be entirely responsible for production management, health and safety compliance, business strategising, marketing or similar aspects within the business.
For employers within the manufacturing sector, it is a tricky balancing act to ensure operations run as efficiently as possible but without losing the human factor that ultimately will oversee the running of the business, whether the tasks are directly related to manufacturing processes or elsewhere within the company. In essence, humans will need to continue to work side by side with new innovations rather than businesses making the choice between one or the other.
Metreel – Market Leading Innovators In Industrial Solutions UK
Is your manufacturing business ready for Industry 4.0? Metreel is a market leading provider of industrial solutions in the UK. Some of the top products we supply to our clients include material handling equipment, fall protection equipment and powerfeed systems.
Based in Derbyshire, we operate not just across the East Midlands but on a global scale. So, if you are in search of the perfect material handling solutions for your business, or if you have any questions about the future of manufacturing in general, including how your business can keep up, you’re in the right place.
You can also download our free brochure to discover more about our product specifications by visiting our product brochure page. If you’re ready to place an order or have any questions, please give us a call on 0115 647 0422 or email us at [email protected].