THE INTERVIEW JULY/AUGUST 2019
WHERE ARE ALL THE
SMART FACTORIES?
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is slowly beginning to
take shape; however, as Steve Sands, product manager
at automation specialists Festo tells MM, more needs to
be done by UK manufacturers to fully embrace it
BY CHRIS BECK
Manufacturing Management: How well
does UK manufacturing understand
Industry 4.0?
Steve Sands: Most businesses are aware that
there is a major change coming and that they need
to be ready to capitalise on it, but I think there is
confusion about what is driving that change, how
UK industry can prepare and how long it will be
before we see the benefi ts.
The questions around Industry 4.0 that we
commonly encounter fall into two key areas.
Firstly: ‘why are so many diff erent terms used
to describe the Industry 4.0 phenomenon?’ and
secondly: ‘why can’t manufacturers produce clearer
examples of the technology being applied?’. It
seems that, because so many diff erent terms are
being used or people can’t see the progress being
made, Industry 4.0 is being perceived as something
fuzzy and undefi ned. Personally, I feel the opposite
is true: we just have to be careful we use the right
terms at the right time.
MM: Can you explain these key terms
and what they mean?
SS: There are three umbrella terms that we
need to defi ne and understand in terms of their
inter-relationships:
Digitalisation is the trend that started with
the Third Industrial Revolution, introducing
electronics, PLCs, digital sensors, etc. This trend
is accelerating rapidly and, for me, digitalisation
incorporates all the other exciting technologies
that are opening up.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is a term that
illustrated by the rise of cloudbased
connectivity and services,
the gathering and use of Big Data
and the application of emerging
technologies such as AI and
machine learning.
Industry 4.0 was one of the
key accelerators for this trend of
increasing digitalisation. It was
originally a German government
initiative, commissioned as
their manufacturing sector
was shaking off the eff ects of
the 2008/09 recession. It was
a clear, government-supported
action plan, defi ned by a strategy
and Road Map, and backed by
a substantial investment. Even
more importantly, it galvanised
the considerable resources
of government, industry and
academia to work together.
MM: Why has this German
initiative had such an
impact across the globe?
SS: Essentially, Industry 4.0
off ered a vision that seemed
almost beyond reach at the time
(a good place for a vision to
be!). It foresaw the application
of technology to create massive
opportunities for manufacturers
and, in turn, consumers. This
vision quickly found traction
in other countries around
the world, including the UK,
USA and China – prompting
their governments to consider
what local initiatives would be
required to ensure that their
industrial base could keep pace
and remain competitive as
digitalisation took hold.
MM: Do you think
referring to the process
as the ‘Fourth Industrial
Revolution’ is helpful?
SS: The term revolution can
of course be associated with
negative images of upheaval,
but essentially it is a period of
disruption that delivers lasting
change. While the transition
can be disturbing, it is also an
exciting period in which new
ideas and ways of working will
emerge. I have no doubt that the
Fourth Industrial Revolution
will alter our relationship
with technology forever. The
benefi ts of digitalisation – better
connectivity, adaptability and
resource effi ciency (to name
a few) – will be astronomical.
Revolution is therefore a perfect
description of the transformation
we are experiencing: but it is
a revolution with a diff erence.
This one is based less on the
technology of the machines
than in their organisation,
communication and networking,
enabling them to work smarter –
and it has a clear plan.
MM: In that case, where are
all the smart factories?
SS: This is a common question
in regard to Industry 4.0,
Industry 4.0’s
success will
depend on
fi nding commonly
accepted
standards, says
Steve Sands
describes this increased pace of digitalisation: as
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