Industry 4.0: What It Is, How It Works, and Why It Matters.

Technology is something that is already more than present in our daily lives. With the expansion of the Internet and mobile devices, more and more people are using it everyday.

That’s why its impact is undeniable and what not many people know is that technology has given rise to a new industrial revolution.

That's right, nowadays, we are already in the industry 4.0 or the fourth industrial revolution and it has been generated as a result of all the changes and facilities that technology and the internet have created.

But how is this possible? What are the technologies that have changed industrial processes? What has been their impact?

If this is the first time you hear about this, it’s normal that you have these doubts, so we will take care of answering them all.

What is Industry 4.0?

Industry 4.0 is simply the term used to talk about the fourth industrial revolution. It’s easily recognized as it involves the inclusion of high-level technologies in business processes.

The way in which industry works today is not at all the same as in the first revolution. As time has gone by, other revolutions have been generated that have brought changes in all of this.

Right now, we find ourselves in the fourth one and various technological aspects have been included that facilitate the work. Whether in the manufacturing of a product, in the administration of the company or in the distribution of goods.

Imagine, if during the day the internet allows you to communicate in real time with your work team or helps you to do research for your academic tasks, at a higher level the benefits also increase.

Nowadays industries can work with intelligent machinery thanks to advances in technology.

Which is a clear improvement in the efficiency and productivity of any kind of company.

All this thanks to the fact that Industry 4.0 stands out for focusing on automation, customization and digitization of all types of processes.

How has this fourth industrial revolution come about?

Societies have advanced a lot thanks to the arrival of the industrial revolution several centuries ago and the advances have been undeniable.

Right now we don't live like in the old days, everything is done faster and much more efficiently, especially since the advent of machines.

But... How did we get to where we are today? To find out, we need to look back at the previous revolutions:

1. First industrial revolution

The first of them all (and the most important, of course) began in 1765 with the creation of the steam engine.

Thanks to it, much of human and animal labor was replaced and many processes began to be automated.

While not as much as today, it did bring about positive changes with respect to dependence on personnel and precision-engineered work.

For example, among the great advances of that era was the creation of transportation channels to replace carts and spinning machines to facilitate work in the textile industry.

2. Second industrial revolution

Only a century later, in 1870, the next revolution was generated thanks to the discovery of electricity and petroleum.

At this point in history, the process began with the invention of the combustion engine that would automate industrial processes with techniques that are still used today.

Likewise, there were clear advances in transportation systems, mechanical production and the facilitation of communication thanks to the arrival of the telegraph and the telephone.

3. Third industrial revolution

By 1969, another century later, another industrial revolution would arrive again, but this time with the appearance of electronics and the discovery of nuclear energy.

From that moment on, computers became a "thing", and several companies began to computerize various processes in order to better manage their responsibilities.

Also, in this third advance of the industry, began the development of process automation within factories.

This led to the creation of much more advanced machinery to increase the speed of production processes.

4. Fourth industrial revolution

Given the speed of progress, Industry 4.0 arrived much faster than the previous ones. Its arrival took only 13 years, since it started in 2011.

All the changes generated by computers and the Internet changed the area of technology in such a way that the novelties arrived at a much faster speed.

Quite accurately, it can be said that this new version of the industry is here thanks to digital technology.

If it were not for this, it would certainly not be at this level yet. But the truth is that technological advances are so functional, that what large companies have done is to include them in their processes.

In addition, today's companies have a greater amount of data to process about their customers and having programs that allow better processing is a great help to facilitate the work.

Technologies that have boosted Industry 4.0

So far, however, it has only been highlighted that "Industry 4.0 has arrived with the integration of technology into business processes".

So, it’s quite likely that right now you are asking yourself: What are the technologies that have been applied at the industrial level?

The truth is that it’s not just one, but several, and each of them has generated its own impact.

That’s why we are going to present a list of some of the main ones:

1. IoT (Internet of Things)

IoT is known as that type of technology that allows various devices to connect to each other.

Of course, in the middle is the use of the internet, as it is what makes possible real-time communication with people from other parts of the world, control your smart TV from your mobile and all those smart products that work with the internet.

Now, at this point it should be noted that the IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) is also recognized as a subcategory.

This refers to the integration of the Internet into large factory machines.

Right now, many of the production equipment has sensors or devices that allow real-time data to be obtained on their performance level and current status.

In this way, it’s possible to have a remote control of them and be aware of any failure that may occur in time to correct it.  

2. Artificial intelligence

We must not overlook the arrival of artificial intelligence, a new technology that has generated great changes.

And we’re not only talking about what has been presented with ChatGPT, since in fact this type of intelligence, which seeks to imitate human mental processing, has existed since the creation of voice assistants for smartphones.

So yes, this is something that has been with us for a long time, but undoubtedly its biggest boom has been in the last year.

Despite everything that can be said about it, on an industrial level it has meant a full stop and has also been used for information processing.

3. Big Data

Data, data and more data is what surrounds us today... So it’s no surprise that another of the relevant technologies is Big Data.

This is a type of technology that enables the collection, organization, storage and analysis of all kinds of data.

Keep in mind that large companies are constantly receiving details of product purchases, personal customer data, cost information, etc.

In fact, the larger the company, the greater the amount of data to process.

So, in order not to leave all this responsibility in the hands of a single person, companies work with Big Data software that makes the job much easier.

4. Augmented reality

It’s possible that the type of augmented reality you know is only the one used in video games, but the truth is that this technology has many more implications.

At the industrial level, it’s used to recreate physical spaces or objects virtually.

So you can check the parts of a machine, through virtual recreation of it. Although it may not seem like much, it’s very useful for mechanics to become familiar with its parts and improve their maintenance and repair.

Along the same lines, several companies are known to use augmented reality to create effective training content for new employees.

5. Robotic automation

Yes, robotic automation is also an important part of the whole new wave of Industry 4.0.

It’s through this that many of the older machines have been replaced by ones that are more up to date and operate in a quite robotic way.

Therefore, this is a technology that is applied very frequently nowadays and thanks to it, many procedures can be automated and a great deal of time can be saved in working days.

6. Cybersecurity

If just now almost everything is done over the Internet and virtual programs are used for data storage, you need a good security system, right?

Of course you do, and that’s why another aspect to highlight on this topic is cybersecurity.

With the new technological advances, a new virtual technology has also been created through which you can offer protection and privacy to all the data that is transferred online.

Keep in mind that all the information there can be exposed to risks such as data loss or hackers.

Therefore, having a good cybersecurity program in place is essential for any company right now.

7. Cloud computing

Undoubtedly, all the cloud computing technology cannot be missing from this list.

All those virtual tools that allow storing and sharing data remotely in a digital space are widely used today.

Not for nothing many companies work hand in hand with Google Drive and OneDrive to store files in folders that can be accessed by several workers.

All of these are known as cyber-physical systems that make it possible for teams to coordinate and work in real time even though they are in different physical locations.

8. Additive manufacturing

To conclude, mention must also be made of additive manufacturing or 3D printing.

As you may already know, this is a technology that has been booming for several years and just now many companies have been using it as well.

In the beginning, it was considered as a good option to rebuild small parts to serve as spare parts more than anything else.

However, just now the possibilities of customization in 3D printing have increased and you can create anything you can imagine.

Moreover, this is a very positive thing, as it allows the use of biomaterials, so it’s something that is environmentally friendly.

There is no doubt that the fourth industrial revolution has generated many changes in the way people live and work, and the most striking thing is that even more changes are expected to happen.

In view of this, we must be prepared to know everything new that Industry 4.0 will bring and learn how to take advantage of it.

Have you already heard about this? Do you think the changes have been positive?

Leave your opinion in the comments section and we will gladly read it.