What's next for smart factories?

Industry 5.0 builds on Industry 4.0 technologies but emphasizes sustainability and collaboration between humans and machines.

Many of the steps automakers are taking today to enable smart operations will help drive further improvements in the future. While the benefits of digitalization and Industry 4.0 have been discussed for many years, interest in Industry 5.0 is growing.

Industry 5.0 goes beyond Industry 4.0 as it shifts the focus from economic value to broader concepts of social value and well-being

Building on Industry 4.0

In order to fully understand Industry 5.0, it is necessary to summarize the methods and goals of Industry 4.0.

First of all, the goal of Industry 4.0 is to bring a high level of digitalization to the manufacturing industry. The typical scope of work covers and integrates a wide range of technologies, including IoT, digital twins, robotics, automation, data sharing, complex analytics and the increasing use of artificial intelligence and machine learning

After rewrite What: These technologies aim to increase productivity and efficiency through virtualization and automation, thereby reducing the need for manual intervention in processes. For this approach to work, a high level of integration and communication between machines and systems needs to be achieved. In this way, each element of the manufacturing operation can make decisions independently, no longer requiring the intervention of human operators

Industry 5.0 ups the stakes

Industry 5.0 is built on the technology of Industry 4.0 , but it places more emphasis on the cooperation between humans and machines. Some say it aims to find a balance between automating operations and leveraging human insights. In other words, it aims to create an optimal environment that relieves workers of their daily tasks through automation. At the same time, leveraging the expertise of workers on the production line can refine and improve processes and operations in real time

On this point, there are many examples in manufacturing and other industries that show that human insights combined can improve outcomes. Take modern meteorology as an example. Similar to how manufacturing leverages IoT, analytics and modeling, meteorologists make predictions by collecting large amounts of weather data from around the world. These data are incorporated into complex models to produce forecasts

Many operations involving aviation, transportation, logistics, event planning and other industries are based on these forecasts. However, those seeking a competitive advantage hire their own meteorologists who take charge of model output and refine forecasts. In some cases, meteorologists may fine-tune forecasts based on knowledge of a specific area. In other cases, they might know that the model did a good job or missed something and use those insights to refine predictions. Skilled auto manufacturing workers can use their expertise to do something similar, to expand the benefits of factory automation.

Sustainable Development Aspects of Industry 5.0

In addition, Industry 5.0 will drive sustainable development to a whole new level, emphasizing the social and environmental responsibilities of manufacturing

In today’s world In the market, regulators, shareholders and customers all have requirements and aspirations for sustainable development. Automakers adopting smart manufacturing strategies and implementing the appropriate technologies can address these issues while improving operations, increasing revenue, cutting costs, and more.

To do this, manufacturers must address sustainability issues in a coordinated, integrated and formal manner rather than in an uncoordinated ad hoc manner. Therefore, there is a need for end-to-end scenario planning and strategic analysis rather than focusing on the sustainability aspects of one operational element.

With the right strategy in place, smart technology can make a difference. Smart manufacturers can collect relevant data to evaluate sustainability-related metrics. This data can be aggregated, analyzed, shared, and reported to all stakeholders. The key information provided in this way helps establish a baseline and can be used to identify areas for improvement. This approach is exactly the same game plan that the car manufacturer followed in its initial digitalization and Industry 4.0 projects. In both cases, manufacturers starting down a sustainability path can use this information to identify use cases and scenarios that will have the greatest impact, and then prioritize those things.

Social well-being aspects of Industry 5.0

When it comes to Industry 5.0, the main concern is sustainability. But the goals and achievable goals of Industry 5.0 go far beyond this. As mentioned above, one aspect where Industry 5.0 is expected to play a major role is in improving the well-being of workers.

A typical example is solving worker safety issues in complex manufacturing environments, including the use of automated systems and robots.

For years, automakers have used robots to perform repetitive tasks on production lines. Some robots are tasked with dangerous tasks, while others are tasked with tasks that tire human operators. From an Industry 4.0 perspective, the key to robotics is improving operational efficiency. With a digital twin of a robotic system, the smooth operation of an entire work cell or production line can be ensured. Simulation technology also helps ensure safe operating conditions

Rewritten content: The introduction of Industry 5.0 expands this way of working to find ways for robotic systems to cooperate with human workers. Therefore, Industry 5.0 no longer pursues robotic systems with limited functionality or isolation from human workers for safety reasons, but explores ways for robotic systems to work collaboratively with humans. Such collaborative robots will further exploit the advantages of robotic systems by integrating the operational knowledge of human workers into workflows, as some have put it

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