Industry 4.0, also known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, was first used as a term at Hannover Messe in Germany in 2011. In October 2012, a working group formed by Robert Bosch GmbH and Henning Kagermann submitted a Fourth Industrial Revolution proposal to the German Federal Government.
Industrial revolutions have progressed through four stages:
The invention of mechanical machinery that used water and steam power more efficiently.
Henry Ford's assembly line design and the use of electricity in mass production, developing the production line.
In the 1970s, programmable machines began replacing mechanical and electronic production technologies with digital technology. We are currently within this industrial revolution.
Industry 4.0 is an industrial strategic plan expected to initiate the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Why Was Industry 4.0 Needed, and What Is Its Aim?
Industry 4.0 primarily aims to bring information technology and industry together. Its first main component is next-generation software and hardware: equipment that is low-cost, compact, energy-efficient and produces little heat while remaining highly reliable, along with operating and software systems that use resources and memory economically. The second, perhaps most important component is the Internet of Things: internet-connected smart electronic systems integrated into equipment and fitted with sensors and actuators, allowing devices to exchange information and data. These can also be called cyber-physical systems. Using such systems in factory machinery means smart factories that can coordinate and optimise production almost independently of people. If the Industry 4.0 strategy is realised, production time, costs and energy requirements will fall, while output and quality will increase.
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