Industry 4.0Feedback to Industry 4.0 > Engineering e Industry 4.0 in industria meccanica 2014

Industry 4.0 - new Quest study

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Market survey about engineering in machinery industry 2014

The feedback of machine-builders on engineering and Industry 4.0

In the up-to-date market survey from Quest TechnoMarketing about the engineering of the machine automation until 2017 the machine-builders also assessed “what Industry 4.0 is supposed to mean for the engineering of the machines until 2017”. This completely open question challenged a likewise open feedback.

November 24th, 2014 - 80% of the investigated machine-builders in ten sectors of the German machinery Industry provided their feedback to this question. The following numbers refer to these machine-builders.  


The open question without further specifications invited to a likewise open feedback:  

 

  • A good third of the machine-builders (35%) consider Industry 4.0 to be relevant for the engineering of their machines. This feedback again shows different levels.

  • 16% of the machine-builders do not relate Industry 4.0 to the engineering but express their understanding of this concept. All these statements evaluate Industry 4.0 positively.

  • For further 16% of the machine-builders Industry 4.0 does not provide any relevance for the engineering of their machines.

  • A third of the machine-builders has still no opinion on Industry 4.0, among them also statements with Industry 4.0 being still unknown.
Feedback of machinery industry on Industry 4.0.

From these results a current slight positive approach to Industry 4.0 may be derived.

Industry 4.0 will provide relevance for the engineering until 2017

The feedback that considers Industry 4.0 to be relevant for the engineering of the machines shows again two levels. 17% are seeing a low relevance, 18% a relevance for the engineering. First the statements regarding the relevance of Industry 4.0.

"I see the networking we are partly already operating with."
  • “I see the networking we are partly already operating with. That is pointing to the trends which we have been already executing in the last years and which we are extending onwards. In the system everything is running centrally and via buses into the components that are connected with the control room. On the part of the customers it is slowly starting that they demand different locations being networked. This concerns large building firms connecting e.g. measuring data. International enterprises are concerned that want to compare how the locations are producing and the efficiency of their work. For this purpose they collect all the data in the head office. For this request we want to offer solutions that at least support communication.” (Building/glass/ceramic machines)

  • “Primarily more possibilities. Then we will get information from smaller modules of our systems or machines. Now we have central services where the control system determines and checks everything. Then we will have a door limit switch somewhere, which informs the control system that its wear limit is achieved. So we will have fewer deadlocks, being able to operate more with regard to the future, execute maintenance during production-poor time achieving altogether a better total availability.” (Building/glass/ceramic machines)
"The idea of Industry 4.0 will be an important module for the marketing and must be possible by simple standard tools of automation."
  • “Today the networking of series machines as well as the connection with ERP systems is already very far advanced in the printing industry without having used the term Industry 4.0. The idea of Industry 4.0 will be an important module for the marketing and must be possible by simple standard tools of automation and the activation of the network must be without additional costs.” (Printing/paper handling machines)

  • “Industry 4.0? It will be in such a manner that the field devices will change in kind of an integration on a higher level in order to improve service readiness and call readiness by remote-accesses. For this purpose we will develop only one template for an area of the system by modularization and parameter setting for the resources. Today we have two times the same.” (Printing/paper handling machines)

  • “That is the networking up to down to sensor in order to have all data available for somewhere and somebody and to run analyzes. Even if it does not currently play such a role yet, the industry will come up to us. It may take still 1-2 years, and then this Industry 4.0-oriented demand will also concern our machines.” (Food processing machines)

  • “That is already in use at our company, the suitable functions are already implemented.” (Food processing machines)
"For us this will mean a still more comprehensive connection from the engineering to the MES."
  • “The 4.0-discussion, although some have still not realized 3.0 yet. For us this will mean a still more comprehensive connection from the engineering to the MES in order to provide much better data. In addition it will also mean a still deeper integration of our machines into the total manufacturing process. Beyond that our machine will not be affected since the mechatronic system is already the trend at our company.” (Food processing machines)

  • “Finally to check our components always again and again in regard whether there are new ones on the market or substitutes? That is our daily work. We will implement step by step Industry 4.0-suited components.” (Robotics and automation)

  • “Industry 4.0 is moving more and more into the focus of the engineering of our machines” (packaging machines)

  • “Our basic approach is already pointing to this direction. We have already realized big steps; regarding laundries all machines are already connected. We are working at the task that the systems will still more plan by themselves.” (Textile machines)
"For this purpose uniformity is needed."
  • “Good question. The most beautiful would be the simplification based on object-oriented data transfer, which we can currently represent only by zero or unity. Logic components would be our request. However, for this purpose uniformity is needed. When we use a Heidenhain control system and Kuka robots, then the connection already fails due to the external machine modules like e.g. tool measurement or when a small washer is to be integrated. Therefore we are forced to be passive until everybody is ready to connect its items into our software.” (Machine tools)

  • “That is a good question, where will develop Industry 4.0. We are ready to implement condition monitoring playing a role with ever more customer requests. However, we must also establish the base first in order to be able to focus on things that are necessary.” (Machine tools)

Industry 4.0 provides low relevance for the engineering until 2017

  • “Is there someone, who can say that at all? From Industry 4.0, the Internet of the things, we are still very far away. That is why the software is still not intelligent enough and not enough oriented to the needs. What software developers do imagine, they are rarely out with the customer, who uses it. That is the reason why it is not the solution of the problems and the great savior. We must still invest endless work. In that regard it will not be quickly made with one step.” (Building/glass/ceramic machines)
"However, customers' request have not been coming up yet."
  • “I can imagine that more distributed intelligence, smaller control systems will be used with Industry 4.0. However, will it match customer's request? Much is spoken about Industry 4.0, however, customers' request have not been coming up yet.” (Conveyer)

  • “Few effect on our machines.” (Rubber/plastics machines)

  • “Only the connection of the machines via Internet. However, data collecting is no topic, only for remote maintenance purposes to look into the machine up to the sensor.” (Food processing machines)
"It will become more complex, not easier as the term suggests."
  • “It will become more complex, not easier as the term suggests. As far as we are concerned I still do not see any changes. It depends how the customers will use it and whether there are advantages.” (Robotics and automation)

  • “Low relevance because we produce special purpose machines while the new concept is more oriented to the mass production.” (Packaging machines)
"Great need for discussion!"
  • “Great need for discussion! Great would be a complete uniformity providing everything on your fingertip. You can think of the boldest constellations that Industry 4.0 will connect everything and everything will work. The customer also wants it because he would like to be modern. However, I do not think that it will be realized so smoothly until 2017. There are still many hooks, loops and stumbling blocks.” (Machine tools)

Industry 4.0 does not provide any relevance for the engineering until 2017

These statements from the sectors are brief: “Does not play any role", “Currently we do nothing at all in that regard”, “Currently not taken into account”, “Currently still insignificant”, “Nothing. The term is clearly overstretched for me.” “So far rather no relevance. That probably will not also change until 2017.”

  • “Use of up-to-date components; Industry 4.0 might not be realized in the pharmaceutical sector in such a way because even remote maintenance is only allowed within limits.” (Packaging machines)
"What's that supposed to mean for the proper realization, nobody knows it."
  • “The total networking as I have got it in many lectures. However, what's that supposed to mean for the proper realization, nobody knows it. The total planning systems and operational processes are to be integrated. But I call it rather a buzz phrase that is promoted by politics. Because we have also many mid-sized companies in contrast to the automobile industry. No such requests have come up to us yet.” (Machine tools)

  • “That would mean that intelligence is moving into the modules. So the modules would have to be equipped electronically that they operate independently transmitting information. At this point I do not see any starting point until 2017.” (Machine tools)

The idea of Industry 4.0 positively specified

  • “The machine and its section components are able to exchange physically interpretable data; with these data processes can be influenced or can react to previous history and succession operations. To transfer data into a Cloud without using it in real processes is data garbage (only good for Big Brother)”. (Rubber/plastics machines)

  • “Providing platforms to build up mechatronic solutions inclusive Internet/Cloud engineering.” (Conveyer)

  • “Access to all necessary machine components (control system, converter, if necessary sensors) via remote maintenance for fault diagnosis.” (Wood processing machines)

  • “In the very labour-intensive Germany operating and programming time should be shortened substantially. Therefore: SIMPLIFY THE WORLD.” (Food processing machines)

  • “More communication with other systems.” (Robotics and automation)

  • “Higher transparency, thereby shorter development times; increased performance, use of standards.” (Textile machines)

  • “Information technology, telecommunications and manufacturing will continue to merge.” (Packaging machines)

  • “Unified consideration and evaluation of the total process cycle; complete interlinking to Internet and flexible and fast product adaptions; documentation paperless; automatic fault diagnoses and improvement; automatic process optimization.” (Machine tools)

Representative market survey

The market survey interviewed 23% of the scarcely 650 machine-builders in the ten automation-relevant sectors with 100 and more employees in the mid of 2014.