Fernando Alcoforado*
“The future of the Industry” was the subject of our conference at the Industria Post Covid Conference Cycle for the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Tamaulipas on 26/03/2021 at the invitation of the Sociedad Estudantil de Ingenieria Industrial de Altamira, Tamaulipas, Mexico. The text presented below represents the content of our conference yesterday.
In the history of mankind, there have already been three industrial revolutions. The 4th Industrial Revolution takes place in the contemporary era. The 1st Industrial Revolution took place in the 18th century, which meant the introduction of the steam engine by James Watt who placed the textile industry as a symbol of the wealth-generating production of the time, giving a leap in productivity and contributing to the expansion of capitalism. The 1st Industrial Revolution lasted about 200 years (1712-1913). The 2nd Industrial Revolution that lasted about 60 years (1913-1969) was inaugurated when Henry Ford created the mass production line with the concept of scale production, reducing the cost and popularizing the product. The 2nd Industrial Revolution is the revolution of Fordism, electrification, mass production. The 3rd Industrial Revolution, which lasted about 40 years (1969-2010), was characterized by the automation of production processes with the implantation of computers in the plant, placing electronic controls, sensors and devices capable of managing a large number of production variables , allowing decision-making with the autonomous control of devices, whose impact was to increase product quality, increase production, manage costs and increase production safety. The 3rd Industrial Revolution is the silicon and electronics revolution that transformed the industry. The 4th Industrial Revolution is already underway with great support from the wave of digitization that we are currently experiencing.
The 4th Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0 is characterized by the integration of so-called cyber-physical production systems, in which intelligent sensors tell machines how they should be processed. The processes must govern themselves in a decentralized modular system. Intelligent systems begin to work together, communicating wirelessly, either directly or through a “cloud” on the Internet (Internet of Things or Thing Internet or IoT). Old rigid factory centralized control systems now give way to decentralized intelligence, with machine-to-machine (M2M) communication on the factory floor. This is the vision of Industry 4.0 of the 4th Industrial Revolution.
The term Industry 4.0 originated from the German government’s strategies aimed at technological advancement. The term was used for the first time at the Hannover Fair in 2011. In April 2013, a final paper on the development of Industry 4.0 was published at the same fair. Its fundamental basis is the connection of machines and systems that allow companies to create smart grids throughout the entire value chain that can control production modules autonomously. In other words, smart factories will have the ability and autonomy to schedule maintenance, predict process failures, and adapt to requirements and unplanned changes in production. The benefits provided by Industry 4.0 are the following: 1) Cost reduction; 2) Energy saving; 3) Greater security; 4) Conservation of the environment; 5) Reduction of errors; 6) End of waste; 7) Transparency in business; 8) Increased quality of life; and, 9) Unprecedented customization and scale.
The technologies used in Industry 4.0 are the following:
1. Artificial Intelligence – Consists of the application of advanced analytics and logic-based techniques, including machine learning, to interpret events, analyze trends and system behavior, support and automate decisions, and take action.
2. Cloud computing: Consists of the distribution of computer services: servers, storage, databases, networks, software, analysis, intelligence – through the Internet, using memory, storage capacity and calculation of computers and servers hosted in Datacenter , providing flexible resources and economies of scale. Cloud computing enables companies to access abundant computing resources as a service and from different remote devices. In this way, high investments in equipment and support staff are avoided, allowing companies to focus their investments on their main activities.
3. Big data: It is an approach to act on data of greater variety and complexity that arrive in increasing volumes and with greater speed used to solve business problems. The data sets are so massive that traditional data processing software cannot manage them. Statistical and machine learning techniques are used to extract business-relevant information, inferences and trends that cannot be obtained with human analysis.
4. Cybersecurity: Consists of a set of hardware and software infrastructures destined to the protection of information assets, by treating threats that put at risk the information that is processed, stored and transported by the information systems that are interconnected.
5. Internet of things: Consists of the interconnection between objects through enabling infrastructure (electronics, software, sensors and / or actuators), with distributed computing capacity and organized in networks, which begin to communicate and interact, and can be monitored and / or remotely controlled resulting in efficiency gains.
6. Advanced robotics: Consists of devices that act largely or partially autonomously, that physically interact with people or their environment and that are capable of modifying their behavior based on sensor data.
7. Digital Manufacturing – It is the use of an integrated computer system consisting of simulation, 3D visualization, analysis, and collaboration tools to create product and manufacturing process definitions simultaneously.
8. Additive manufacturing: Consists of manufacturing parts from a digital design (made with three-dimensional modeling software), superimposing thin layers of material, one by one, using a 3D printer. Materials such as plastic, metal, metal alloys, ceramics and sand, among others, can be used.
9. Systems integration: It is the union of different computer systems and software applications physically or functionally, to act as a coordinated whole allowing the exchange of information between different systems. It allows companies to have a complete vision of their business. Real-time information about the production process influences management decisions more quickly, as well as strategic decisions about the company’s business can be more easily implemented on the production floor.
10. Simulation systems: Consists of the use of computers and a set of techniques to generate digital models that describe or exhibit the complex interaction between various variables within a system, imitating real-world processes.
11. Digitization: Consists of the use of digital technologies to transform production processes, product development and / or business models, seeking optimization and efficiency in the processes. Digital transformation includes design and implementation of a data digitization, detection, acquisition and processing plan.
Industry 4.0 is an industry concept that encompasses the main technological innovations in the fields of automation, control and information technologies, applied to manufacturing processes. From Cyber-physical systems, Internet of things and Internet of services, production processes tend to be increasingly efficient, autonomous and customizable. This means a new period in the context of the great industrial revolutions. With smart factories, there will be several changes in the way products are manufactured, causing impacts in various market sectors. Making Industry 4.0 a reality will imply the gradual adoption of a set of emerging technologies for Information Technology and industrial automation, in the formation of a physical-cybernetic production system, with intense digitization of information and direct communication between systems, machines, products. and people; that is to say, the so famous Internet of Things (IoT). This process promises to generate highly flexible and self-adjusting manufacturing environments to the growing demand for increasingly personalized products.
Therefore, in Industry 4.0 we have:
• Intelligent systems and sensors that tell machines how they should work and how they will be involved in each stage of the manufacturing process, thus providing data, such as feedback, for greater control of production.
• The processes must be self-managed in a decentralized modular system. Intelligent systems start to work together with the exchange of data and information, directly and also through the “cloud” on the Internet. As a result, industrial control systems will be more complex and distributed, allowing for a more flexible and detailed process.
• Old rigid centralized control systems in factories now give way to decentralized intelligence, with machine-to-machine (M2M) communication at the plant.
Machine-to-machine communication, or M2M, is a technology that allows networked devices to exchange information and perform actions without the manual assistance of humans. It consists of the automated exchange of information between devices such as machines, vehicles or other equipment in the industrial and trade and services. These devices communicate with each other or with a central location (database), increasingly using the Internet and different access networks, such as the cellular network. A common application is remote monitoring, management, control and maintenance of machines, equipment and systems, traditionally called telemetry. M2M technology linked the information and communication technologies. M2M solutions streamline nearly all industry workflows and result in productivity gains. The roots of M2M are firmly planted in the manufacturing industry, where other technologies, such as SCADA- Supervision and Data Acquisition System, PLC- Programmable Logic Controller and remote monitoring, help to remotely manage and control equipment data.
To put Industry 4.0 into practice, it is important to follow the following 4 steps:
a) Carry out strategic planning
Implementing the Industry 4.0 concept requires planning. Study what are the main problems facing the company, investigate the different technologies that can be adopted and make a long-term plan to gradually modernize the entire business. Embrace the solution that provides a high ROI (return on investment).
b) Carry out pilot projects
As these are high-cost technologies, most technology companies that offer solutions for Industry 4.0 allow pilot projects to be carried out. Take the opportunity to start small, do tests and analyze the first results. If all goes well, invest and expand the project to other areas of the company.
c) Become a data freak
The large volume of data is the foundation of Industry 4.0. It is this information that will allow to make the most of the benefits of this new era. However, it does not make sense to have millions of data at disposal and not analyze it and make important decisions based on it. Therefore, it is necessary to immerse yourself in the data, study and base all actions on the paths that they indicate you. It is time to let go of the feeling and make more precise decisions.
d) Have a trained team
No technology will work unless there is a trained team to operate it. Industry 4.0 professionals need to reinvent themselves. It will be increasingly necessary to have analytical and data interpretation skills. In addition, it is need a team that adapts easily and learns quickly, as innovations are constantly changing and there is always something new on the market.
The 4th Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0 requires a new professional profile. To work on the floor of a digital factory, it will need to develop essential skills. Technicians will no longer perform repetitive functions. They will be focused on strategic tasks and project control. Whoever wants to conquer a space in the factories of the future must develop new skills. It will be necessary, for example, to learn to work side by side with intelligent collaborative robots to increase productivity. This creates space for more complex and creative functions.
The professional of the factories of the future will not only be responsible for exercising a specific part of the assembly line, but for the entire production process. This professional needs to be open to change, have the flexibility to adapt to new functions and get used to continuous multidisciplinary learning. It is very important that the professional has a broad vision. Having a multidisciplinary vision does not mean that specialized technical knowledge has lost importance in the curriculum. An academic background in computer engineering or mechatronics is important, but not sufficient. You have to specialize on several fronts and know a little about each thing. You have to like technology, innovation and, above all, be curious to learn and follow an industry that is always reinventing itself. With so many changes, the professional inserted in Industry 4.0 needs to adapt to this new reality.
The Production Engineer in Industry 4.0 is in charge of managing and optimizing processes, reducing costs and waste, inserting intelligence and integration. In Industry 4.0, also known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the work of the Production Engineer is important and necessary since he is the professional responsible for all the production processes of an organization, from the handling of raw materials, to delivery. of the final product. In addition, the specialist in Production Engineering needs to be up to date with technological changes and aware of the trends and innovations that the area will suffer, always thinking of ways to reduce costs and avoid waste, considering environmental, economic and social aspects.
The Production Engineer works both in Industry – such as factories and assemblers – as well as in the service area, for example, in consulting companies, banks and hospitals, among others. The main activities are planning, logistics, sustainability engineering, process control and improvement, quality management, risk analysis, digital manufacturing, simulation of business processes and scenarios, and technology management. It is essential to train the Production Engineer in techniques such as programming, collaborative robotics and data analysis, as well as to develop socio-emotional skills with methods to stimulate creativity, entrepreneurship, leadership and communication. The Production Engineer must have a multidisciplinary training and, therefore, must be prepared to understand the different processes of organizations in different areas. The production engineer will be able to act in many areas, ensuring high employability and dynamic professional development.
The future Production Engineer must be able to develop projects that carry out the connection and integration of processes, including the areas of manufacturing, suppliers, distribution, selection of technologies, in an Industry 4.0 environment. The Production Engineer will act strongly in this environment, developing projects to integrate and insert intelligence into the processes. The essential skills that the Production Engineer must develop are related to the ability to analyze information and data related to different processes and systems, communication skills to deal with different cultural and technological environments, mastery of systems modeling, analysis and design methods information, learning capacity to face organizational challenges and new technologies and have an ethical and humanistic conduct to ensure the harmony of their projects with the construction of a comprehensive and just society.
Industry 4.0 imposes the need for changes in courses in the areas of engineering, administration and others, to adapt to the new needs of new technologies. One of the objectives of the educational system of a country is to plan the preparation and retraining of people for the labor market. It is the responsibility of educational system planners to identify the role of humans in the world of work in the future with intelligent production systems to carry out a broad revolution in teaching at all levels, including teacher qualification and structuring of teaching units to prepare your students for a world of work in which people will have to deal with intelligent machines. The teaching programs of educational units at all levels, including Production Engineering, must be profoundly restructured to achieve these goals.
The education system of the future requires the following:
a) Classroom – Instead of being intended for theory, the classroom should be intended for practice. The student learns theory at home and practices in classrooms with the help of a teacher / mentor. The most interesting and promising model for the use of technologies is to concentrate what is basic information in the virtual environment and in the classroom the most creative and supervised activities. The combination of learning by challenges, real problems, games is very important for students to learn by doing, learn together and learn at their own pace. And it is also decisive to give more value to the role of the teacher as a manager of rich processes of meaningful learning and not to that of a simple transfer of information. If we change the mentality of teachers to be mediators, they will be able to use nearby resources, simple technologies, such as those of their cell phones, a camera to illustrate, a free program to collect images and tell interesting stories with them and the students to be authors, protagonists of your learning process.
b) Role of the teacher– The articulator of the individual and group stages is the teacher, with their ability to monitor, mediate, analyze the processes, results, gaps and needs, based on the paths taken by students individually and in groups. This new role of the teacher is more complex than the previous one of transmitting information. You need preparation in broader skills, in addition to knowledge of the content, how to adapt to the group and each student; plan, monitor and evaluate significant and different activities. Since technology brings more efficiency and is increasingly replacing human work in various areas, the teacher must emphasize the training of students, considering the presence of essentially human skills and valuing social interactions even more. The teaching units should provide more opportunities for students to acquire real-world skills that will make a difference in their work. This means more space for work schedules, more collaborative projects, more practice.
c) Personalized learning – Students must learn with tools that adapt to their own abilities, being able to learn at different times and places. This means that above average students will be challenged with more difficult exercises and those with more difficulty will have the opportunity to practice more until they reach the desired level. This process will allow teachers to see clearly what kind of help each student needs.
d) Practical applicability – Knowledge should not be only in theory, it should be put into practice through projects so that students acquire mastery of the technique and also practice organization, teamwork and leadership. Working with challenges, with real projects, with games seems the most important way today, but it can be done in many ways and in different contexts. It can be taught by problems and projects in a disciplinary model and in models without isolated disciplines; with more open models – of a more participatory and procedural construction – and with more scripted models, previously elaborated, planned in their smallest details to create challenges, activities, games that really bring the necessary skills for each stage, that request relevant information, that offer stimulating rewards, that combine personal paths with meaningful participation in groups, that are inserted in adaptive platforms, that recognize each student and at the same time learn through interaction, all using the appropriate technologies.
e) The new assessment system – Many argue that the current question-and-answer form of the tests is not effective, because many students only memorize the content and forget it the day after the assessment. However, this system does not adequately evaluate what the student is really capable of doing with that content in practice. Therefore, the tendency is for evaluations to begin to take place in the realization of real projects.
What essential competencies must the teaching units develop for the training of Production Engineers for Industry 4.0?
1. Concept of Industry 4.0
2. Artificial intelligence
3. Cloud computing
4. Big data
5. Cyber security
6. Internet of things
7. Advanced robotics
8. Digital manufacturing
9. Additive manufacturing
10. Systems integration
11. Simulation systems
12. Digitization
13. Machine-to-machine technology or M2M
14. Programmable logic controller or PLC
15. System or Supervision and Data Acquisition System or SCADA
* Fernando Alcoforado, 81, awarded the medal of Engineering Merit of the CONFEA / CREA System, member of the Bahia Academy of Education, engineer and doctor in Territorial Planning and Regional Development by the University of Barcelona, university professor and consultant in the areas of strategic planning, business planning, regional planning and planning of energy systems, is author of the books Globalização (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 1997), De Collor a FHC- O Brasil e a Nova (Des)ordem Mundial (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 1998), Um Projeto para o Brasil (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 2000), Os condicionantes do desenvolvimento do Estado da Bahia (Tese de doutorado. Universidade de Barcelona,http://www.tesisenred.net/handle/10803/1944, 2003), Globalização e Desenvolvimento (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 2006), Bahia- Desenvolvimento do Século XVI ao Século XX e Objetivos Estratégicos na Era Contemporânea (EGBA, Salvador, 2008), The Necessary Conditions of the Economic and Social Development- The Case of the State of Bahia (VDM Verlag Dr. Müller Aktiengesellschaft & Co. KG, Saarbrücken, Germany, 2010), Aquecimento Global e Catástrofe Planetária (Viena- Editora e Gráfica, Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, São Paulo, 2010), Amazônia Sustentável- Para o progresso do Brasil e combate ao aquecimento global (Viena- Editora e Gráfica, Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, São Paulo, 2011), Os Fatores Condicionantes do Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2012), Energia no Mundo e no Brasil- Energia e Mudança Climática Catastrófica no Século XXI (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2015), As Grandes Revoluções Científicas, Econômicas e Sociais que Mudaram o Mundo (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2016), A Invenção de um novo Brasil (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2017), Esquerda x Direita e a sua convergência (Associação Baiana de Imprensa, Salvador, 2018, em co-autoria) and Como inventar o futuro para mudar o mundo (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2019).
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