Industry 4.0 | IoT – Internet of Things
From the beginning: Industry 1.0 to 4.0
Since the beginning of times, men used their own hands and the help of animals for the production of goods. But the scenario changed drastically in the 19th century, with the First Industrial Revolution. With it, a new era starts Industry 1.0. Water and steam-powered machines are developed. On this period, a massive rural flight took place, the cities had factories and the advanced machines allowed a much bigger production of goods and their distribution, changing forever the society and how the world works. Many inventions appeared in this era, the steam locomotive, steamship, automobile, aeroplane, telegraph, and the radio.
Industry 2.0 started somewhere at the beginning of the 20th century, being electricity the main new source that was discovered and which changed the way of manufacturing goods, as it was much easier to operate electric machines than water and steam ones. Massive production happens with the division of labour and assembling lines. The quality of the product becomes much higher.
At the end of the 20th century, electronic devices are created, such as the transistor and integrated circuit chips – Industry 3.0 begins. At this Era, workers start to be replaced or supplemented by machines. Hardware and software systems are developed.
Right now, in the 21st century, we are facing Industry 4.0. Automation, big data, artificial intelligence and robotics are some of the big words.
Industry 4.0
For this era, we may say that IoT (Internet of Things) is one, or maybe, the most important concept. Between many definitions, we found this one: “The internet of things (IoT) is a computing concept that describes the idea of everyday physical objects being connected to the internet and being able to identify themselves to other devices. The term is closely identified with RFID as the method of communication, although it also may include other sensor technologies, wireless technologies or QR codes.
The IoT is significant because an object that can represent itself digitally becomes something greater than the object by itself. No longer does the object relate just to its user, but it is now connected to surrounding objects and database data. When many objects act in unison, they are known as having “ambient intelligence.”” Source: Techopedia
The Big Information System
Most of the things that we use on our daily basis give us information, for example, a traffic light, being the red light for stop, and the green one for go, or our toaster, that tell us when our toast is ready in the morning. With all of these connections, there is too much waste that can be reduced, downtime avoided, time spared, and money saved.
With Industry 4.0, we are facing a transition that can improve everyone’s life, and companies can be one of the major winners with this new system, where everything can be connected. By using systems that collect, monitor and analyse data, it is possible to connect sectors of the factory, for example, to cross variables and see where profits are. The possibilities are endless, and with TecnoVeritas Performance Monitoring Tool – BOEM-S it can be applied to any industry sector.
BOEM-S is a Business Assurance Platform, based on the cloud, using the internet to connect multiple sectors of your plant or as many plants as you have, that monitor your processes, analyses them, giving you the right information for the right decisions.
It uses artificial intelligence and KPIs, and, with time, it learns the processes, being able to identify what must be done to solve issues, or to improve, giving you better results.
It is able to identify smaller problems, for example, when a mechanical component must be replaced, avoiding downtime, or giving you better results. And it can also detect larger problems, for example, detect where energy is being spent unnecessarily, by analysing consumption and power graphics or even dimming the intensity of the lights according to the sunlight.
For BOEM-S to work correctly, sensors must be installed or the existing ones shall be connected to the system Many times it is considered an unnecessary cost for companies, but what a business can win and grow with savings brought by BOEM-S or time spared compensates largely and rapidly pays all the previous investment.
Figure 1 – BOEM-S is a cloud-based platform that connects your business, on any device with internet connection.
BOEM-S is flexible and expandable, growing with your business. From the several modules it has, it can be acquired as your business needs, is fully customisable, once the KPI are defined accordingly to one’s business.
BOEM-S is a tool made for Industry 4.0, allowing your business to go along and keep up with new times. Connect your plant units, connect your information, connect your business with BOEM-S.