Download industry 4.0

INDUSTRY 4.0 CAN THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
SAVE FRENCH INDUSTRY?
T h e co n d i t i o n o f Fre n c h i n d u st r y i s wo r r y i n g : t h e i nve st m e n t g a p i s
about €40 billion,the stock of industrial machinery is some ten years
older than that of Germany, and factory closures are a regular event.
Faced with this situation, the Ministry for the Economy and Finance is currently paying
close attention to «Industry 4.0», a German industrial project. Can this concept, which
holds the promise of a fourth industrial revolution, save French industry?
« IN DU ST RY 4 . 0 » : A P R OJ EC T “ M A D E I N G ER M A NY ”
The concept of « Industry 4.0 » defines a new way to organize factories, also known as «Smart
Factories» or « Intelligent Factories », in order to better serve customers through increased
AUTHORS
flexibility in production and resource optimization.
« Industry 4.0 » is an industrial project, which was launched at the industrial technology show,
CeBIT, in Hanover, in 2010. It was officially introduced and supported by the chancellor, Angela
Merkel, at that same show in 2012. The project is a key part of the German government’s
high-tech strategy, in which the country’s industrial trade associations are heavily involved.
Among European countries, France is a latecomer in terms of interest in this concept.
After Germany launched the « Industry 4.0 » project in 2010, the UK launched its own
PATRICIA VERRIÈRE - CUENOT
[email protected]
CAROLINE QUENEDEY
[email protected]
program in 2011, the « High-Value Manufacturing Catapult », followed in 2012 by Italy
and its « Fabbrica del futuro ». The French government launched its « Usine du futur »
(Factory of the Future) initiative in September 2013, as part of a series of 34 plans in its
Nouvelle France Industrielle (New Industrial France) strategy. However, the condition
of French industry is worrying. French Ministry believes that France is lagging behind
in investment to a sum of about €40 billion. The stock of industrial machinery is estimated to be, on average, some ten years older than that of Germany. Can « Industry
4.0 » , which holds the promise of a fourth industrial revolution, save French industry?
WHAT IS «INDUSTRY 4.0»?
W H Y DOES I T R EP R ESENT A N
IN D U ST RI A L B R EA KT H R O U G H ?
Intercommunication between the different
new ways of organizing production across
Our daily lives have been transformed by
« Industry 4.0 » factory. It enables robots
the entire value chain. « Industry 4.0 » has
smartphones and the internet. They allow
and systems to access data (using sensors,
been described as the fourth industrial revo-
us, in particular, to communicate and share
controllers, and simulations) in real-time in
lution. The first industrial revolution was
information with people or objects. Why
order to react as quickly as possible to an
triggered in the 1780s by the arrival of the
not adapt these technologies for use in
event (such as an incident, modification, or
first examples of mechanized production,
factories? This is the direction being taken
non-compliance). This use of real-time infor-
driven by the invention of the steam engine.
by Germany with its « Industry 4.0 » pro-
mation and robotic systems is set to disrupt
The second industrial revolution began in
ject. Observing the increase in competition
modes of production and the way manufac-
about 1850 with the invention of electricity
from emerging economies, especially China,
turing is organized. This is something that
and mass production. In the 1970s, a third
Germany wants to secure its position, by
will impact all types of roles, from engineers
industrial revolution began, the era of auto-
entering a new industrial era. It is crucial for
to maintenance operators, and will also
mated production with the development of
the survival of its industry that this repre-
change the physical locations of factories.
electronics, the first automation, and indus-
sents a real breakthrough, which will provide
trial information technology. A fourth indus-
it with a competitive advantage over time.
The « Industry 4.0 » project aims to develop
trial revolution is now beginning, personified
actors and objects connected to the production line is the central feature of the
As a result, « Industry 4.0 » constitutes
a real breakthrough based on three major
in the internet of things and the cloud, for
Often presented as the digitization of busi-
technological innovations: collaborative
the manufacture of products incorporating
ness, this concept needs to be seen through
robotics, self-adaptation of production
intelligent systems such as simulation sys-
a more ambitious lens to ensure a real revo-
systems (with smart, connected sensors),
tems and sensors.
lution. Digitalizing 2D drawings for design,
and the use of augmented reality.
manufacture, and maintenance is not suffi-
HOW DO ES AN « IND U ST RY 4 . 0 »
FACTORY O PERATE?
cient anymore. Virtualization involves the
The « Industry 4.0 » factory operates accor-
duction and maintenance processes.
ding to six key principles:
transition to 3D models for design, product
modification and the management of pro-
In addition, it is essential to integrate the
The factory is virtualized in order to
simulate and monitor products, processes and the production environment in 3D,
use of connected devices, cloud computing,
//
Its systems are interoperable: they
have the ability to communicate and
interact with each other,
workstations, in real-time.
//
Decisions are decentralized: with
cyber-physical systems taking autonomous decisions,
//
Analysis and decision-making take
place in real-time, through continuous and instantaneous communication,
//
It is service-oriented: with better
maintenance, and can offer new
types of services,
//
It is modular: it adapts rapidly to
changing demand.
//
augmented reality, 3D printing, etc. The goal
is to connect together all «smart» objects so
that they can interact, with each other and
2
A R E T H I NG S L I M I T ED TO A TECHNO LO G I C A L B R EA KT H R O UG H?
Reducing « Industry 4.0 » to a technological
breakthrough would be a mistake. By involving trade associations and the unions, the
German project has not fallen into this trap.
The impacts on the way work is organized,
and on skills and disciplines, are highly significant. Some illustrations of this are:
INDUSTRY 4.0
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Manufacturing processes are simulated at the product design stage. The
technical activities carried out by
operators, in terms of manufacturing
and maintenance, can be simulated.
As a result, workplace ergonomics
are greatly improved, either transferring difficult tasks to robots or by
modifications to the working environment.
In conclusion, « Industry 4.0 » is a step
Operators
are
equipped
with
connected devices, such as tablets
or glasses, which allow them to see
an augmented reality. These devices
can be used to facilitate maintenance operations and quality control,
for example. The role of an operator,
therefore, involves an increasing degree of management and control activity, and less and less manual labor.
to senior management.
The role of management is also
strengthened. Decision making is
decentralized along the production
line, with tools being developed to
assist in management and control.
sectors have understood this fact and have
The coexistence between people
and machines in the factory impacts
behavior. In an environment where
robots and systems are increasingly used, the role of the manager in
creating and maintaining team spirit
and good communication becomes
essential.
As a result, the skills are evolving
too: the transition from 2D to 3D, the
use of connected objects, and decision-making skills. These developments are accompanied by the use
of training plans and the creation of
expert-communities to share best
practice.
change in the way things are designed and
produced. This is a project based on global
considerations and involving all operational
functions (production, supply chain, engineering, maintenance, etc.), but also the support functions (finance, human resources,
« A European dynamic to
reorganize industrial production. »
and information systems), and at all levels of
the hierarchy: from operational team leaders
to be customized without additional costs
« Industry 4.0 » is, therefore, an opportunity for France to strengthen its industrial
base and maintain, or even expand, the
number of future jobs in industrial sectors.
It is an issue of survival for our competitiveness clusters such as aerospace, automotive, and railways; the main players in these
or time input. Product quality is improved
by the immediate correction of defects that
arise during manufacture through increased
use of automatic controls. For example, the
incorporation of RFID into all components
improves the traceability and control of
assemblies throughout the production life
cycle. The analysis of product configuration
already launched initiatives to this end.
and its associated real-time operating data
W H AT AR E T H E EX P EC T ED
B E N E F IT S ?
triggered automatically.
« Industry 4.0 » aims to make products both
more attractive and more affordable for customers through the development of product
customization and a reduction in the time
to deliver products to market, while, at the
same time, increasing quality and associated
services. In summary, with « Industry 4.0 » ,
we are moving from mass production to
customized large-scale production and an
explosion in services.
allows preventive maintenance actions to be
Companies also benefit, internally, from
this revolution through better communication and coordination between functions. The logistics system can anticipate,
for example, a request for parts as a result
of sensors monitoring the levels of inventory
and activity in the production process. The
management of data in real-time speedsup decision-making for operators but also
for machines, which can automatically take
action, according to the information they
are collecting and that provided by other
The first beneficiary is, therefore, the cus-
machines.
tomer. The implementation of intelligent
modular production lines allows products
The different industrial revolutions
1.0
2.0
3.0
3
4.0
Employees are positively impacted as a
result of improvements to their working
conditions. The use of robots has already
At the heart of this model are:
//
partially freed people from repetitive and
tedious tasks. Ergonomics will be further
improved through systems for the gripping
and automatic positioning of items on the
//
The MES (Manufacturing Execution
System), which ensures that information can be transmitted and fed
back in real-time to support production,
//
Augmented Reality to support quality control, maintenance, repair or
training.
factory floor which use data from digital
models. However, we need to look beyond
this to make use of robots, and other possibilities for automation, as tools that serve
employees. The introduction of connected
objects will be accompanied by an increase
in operators’ skills, making them more ver-
PLM (Product Lifecycle Management), which provides the definition,
management, and accessibility of information generated and processes
that support design,
satile and available to monitor tasks, and to
The integration of PLM/MES/Augmented
be able to provide feedback to help ensure
Reality solutions is a prerequisite for
continuous process improvement.
continuity in virtual models, from design
Finally, the financial impact on compa-
perceive as attractive. If a competitive and
attractive model is to be built, which goes
beyond purely technological aspects, the
human dimension must not be overlooked.
to production.
nies is considerable, due to the significant
The implementation of an « Industry 4.0 »
investments involved, but also in terms of
factory project starts with defining the
the expected gains. Airbus, for example,
business’s strategy and sharing this with
envisages a 50% reduction in its production
all functions. In fact, such a project actually
costs.
requires considerable collective effort, which
is delivered through a shared vision of the
HOW CAN IT BE IMPLE ME N T E D?
To be on the starting grid in this revolution, it is essential to have a comprehensive
and consistent virtual 3D-model product/
process in place, fully digitized and shared
across all functions, partners, and suppliers.
This virtual model manages all the information throughout the lifecycle of the product.
It allows the simulation of product behavior,
the production system and its maintenance,
and associated services.
challenges and transformation required.
To attempt such a transformation and ensure
that the necessary change takes place, rigorous scoping is required which addresses
all the relevant dimensions (technological,
organizational, human and financial). An «
Industry 4.0 » factory will need tools and
technological innovations, but also ergonomic improvements to be proposed to
the various internal and external actors, in
order to create an environment that they will
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