The arrival of Industry 4.0 will bring even more significant changes to industries, especially when it comes to sustainability. As with all previous industrial revolutions, it will be necessary to make adaptations to avoid losing money.
However, the benefits will be even greater due to:
- Productivity;
- Optimization of the production line;
- Economy;
- Environmental awareness.
One of the benefits that is already part of the implementation of Industry 4.0 technological innovations is thesustainability. To see how Industry 4.0 and company sustainability are related, keep reading!
After all, what is Industry 4.0?
After having gone through three industrial revolutions, in recent years technological innovations have led to the invention of equipment that can bring about major transformations.
So much so that, in 2011, the term Industry 4.0 began to be used to represent the 4th Industrial Revolution.It is marked by the use of Cyber-Physical systems, the Internet of Things (IoT) and decentralized manufacturing processes.
The basic foundation of the concept is the possibility ofconnect machines, systems and assets to create intelligent networks that can control production modules autonomously.
In practice, the equipment will be able toschedule maintenance, predict failures and even adapt production,providing enough flexibility to meet customized demands.
Examples of Industry 4.0 applied in large companies
The callssmart factoriesare already operating, including in Brazil. This is the case at the Jeep unit, located in Pernambuco, where robots assemble cars practically without any assistance. Therefore,the factory produces 45 cars per hour.
At Embraer, the equipment has sensors that monitor the operation of each piece of equipment, avoiding unscheduled stops and detecting problems much more efficiently and quickly.
In Ambev's factories, the cooling system is automated, preventing temperature variations and loss of beverage quality, in addition tosave energy .
Abroad, the changes are even greater, with Germany and the United States being the highlights when it comes to Industry 4.0. Brazil needs to play catch-up to remain globally competitive.
Industry 4.0 and sustainability
Anyone who thinks that increased productivity and profit are the main benefits are mistaken.One of the great advantages is thesustainabilityprovided by Industry 4.0 processes.
Many problems in conventional industries are solved with the implementation of Industry 4.0 methods.
See below the relationship between the benefits of Industry 4.0 and sustainability in the company.
Real-time diagnostics
- Using the electronic monitoring system, it is possible to identify when there is a problem, as the sensors can detect possible failures. Based on the information received, it is still possible to make the best decisions, preventing the problem from causing activities to stop or even product failures;
- In addition to saving time, solid waste can also be reducedgenerated by the manufacturing process.
Raw material savings
- In Industry 4.0, some systems allow production scheduling and precise analysis of the material needed to manufacture the product. Therefore,the amount of raw material stored is reducedand new orders are placed only when necessary. The result is theminimizing waste and also the need for transportation, benefiting the environment.
Energy saving
- With the implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies, energy savings are achieved in several ways. Even though there is automation of processes through robots that use electrical energy, they only consume energy when they need to operate;
- In smart factories,The lights are complemented with natural lighting, in addition to being turned on and off automatically.For this, thelighting systemsidentify when it is necessary to supplement the sunlight in environments with artificial light. They also check how bright this light should be, since on cloudy days and at night more intense lights are needed.
Waste reuse
- If previously the waste generated by the manufacture of products ended up becoming, for the most part, garbage, now the situation has changed completely. As much as possible is manufactured with biodegradable material and what is not organic, such as electronic equipment, for example, is planned so that its parts can return to the factories to be transformed intoraw materials for new products ;
- In addition toreduce the emission of toxic pollutants into the atmosphere, such actions still manage toreduce the amount of waste generated, creating a truly sustainable production process.
Cost reduction
- The benefits mentioned above have as a consequence, in addition to sustainability, a clearcost reduction. Ofaccording to SENAI, a survey carried out by McKinsey in 2015 indicates that there will be areduction in maintenance costs between 10% and 40%; in energy consumption the margin is 10% to 20%; while labor productivity will increase by 10% to 25%.
Think and act consciously
There is no way to think about living today without industries. But reducing pollution generated during the process, as well as preserving water resources and preventing irresponsible deforestation are essential issues so that in the future we can all have a good quality of life.
The technology offered by Industry 4.0 should be used to promote the sustainability of your company, because, as we have seen, the benefits are much greater.
To learn more about the topic, check out our article:Sustainable Manufacturing: Why It’s Critical to Today’s Production
