An introduction to Industry 4.0

In this video, Ben Clossey, a customer success enablement specialist at TechTarget, talks about Industry 4.0.

Industry 4.0 -- just another new buzzword or real-world technology?

We've all heard of AI, machine learning, the internet of things, and the cloud. When these technologies are used in industrial settings to control machines, monitor product quality and analyze data, you get Industry 4.0.

Industry 4.0 refers to the cyber-physical transformation of manufacturing -- basically, how the evolution of technology has impacted industrial business and productivity.

Here, we'll go over the basics of Industry 4.0.

Let's start at the beginning. In the 1800s, the first industrial revolution was based on steam-powered machinery, like locomotives, to dramatically boost productivity.

The second industrial revolution followed the advent of electricity in the early 20th century and the expansion of factories to mass produce goods.

Industry 3.0 took hold in the latter half of the 20th century, marked by the use of mainframes and other large computers in offices.

Today, we have Industry 4.0, where those bulky machines were replaced by smaller, more efficient devices and advanced software. The phrase was coined in 2011, inspired by Germany's Industrie 4.0 government initiative. While the list of technologies Industry 4.0 officially encompasses is ever growing and evolving, it's marked by the presence of robotics, AI, IoT and automation.

Industry 4.0 systems use AI and machine learning to analyze lots of data points in real time, send alerts or initiate actions, help businesses make decisions, and overall improve efficiency and productivity.

For example, a network of IoT sensors collects data on factory equipment and transmits it wirelessly to AI software in the cloud. Software analyzes the data to spot potential for failures and alert workers when action is needed to avert a problem. In some cases, the software actually takes action to remedy an issue with no human involvement.

Other Industry 4.0 applications also include network-connected devices that track goods in transit from remote locations as well as other physical assets, such as self-driving cars.

Industry 4.0 brings business benefits like increased process visibility; better machine monitoring; minimized downtime; and reduced operating costs, to name a few.

But there are notable challenges to adopting 4.0 tech, like [the following]:

• The upfront cost of 4.0-enabled software and hardware.
• Interoperability of sensors and devices.
• Added security vulnerabilities with each internet-connected device.
• Configuration complexities.

If Industry 4.0 sounds like something that only big businesses can afford, it kind of is -- right now, at least. Experts anticipate that as Industry 4.0 technology advances, it will get cheaper and easier to produce, making it more accessible to companies of all sizes in the future.

Does your business plan to use Industry 4.0 technology? If so, how? If not, what's stopping you?

Cameron Hashemi-Pour is a technology writer for WhatIs. Before joining TechTarget, he graduated from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and received his Master of Fine Arts degree in professional writing/communications. He then worked at Context Labs BV, a software company based in Cambridge, Mass., as a technical editor.