Industry 4.0 is a set of technologies that work together to enable manufacturers gain value from having their factory machines and the manufacturing processes become connected and smart. It is recommended to make changes incrementally and in phases to achieve ROI quickly and build knowledge that can be reused as subsequent changes are then made. You can learn more about this technology through this white paper Demystifying Industry 4.0
MATLAB® and Simulink® offer a wide array of algorithm and model authoring capabilities, connectivity options, the ability to reuse artifacts, and flexible deployment options into Industry 4.0 infrastructure. There are four major Industry 4.0 capabilities that we see companies are building using MATLAB and Simulink:
• Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
• Advanced data analytics and AI
• Robotics and autonomous systems
• Digital twin development and deployment
The industrial world is rapidly changing with the emergence of Industry 4.0, which encompasses the growing complexity of software and an ever-increasing amount of data.
The increasing code base on industrial systems is a challenge for classically trained engineers who rely on traditional methods for programming and testing. Also, sensors on modern equipment collect a significant amount of measured data that needs to be analyzed to gain knowledge about product quality, energy consumption, machine health status, and other economically relevant parameters. This is where the use of machine learning algorithms—for predictive maintenance, for example—is beneficial to derive actionable insights.
The biggest impact of Industry 4.0, however, is on the people working in the factory of the future. By using MATLAB and Simulink, more engineers and scientists, not just data scientists, can make use of AI and advanced data analytics. The factory of the future requires engineers who can build models, deal with large data sets, and handle the respective development tools.
Therefore, companies building and operating industrial equipment should be ready for a future in which Industry 4.0 is merely the beginning.
Learn more about how to get started on this transformational journey from ‘Traditional’ to ‘Smart Factory’ by attending the complimentary Smart Factory Series.