Industrial 4.0, as a representation of the fourth industrial revolution, is leading manufacturing towards intelligent, networked, and digital development.

This concept was first proposed by the German government in 2011, aiming to achieve digitalization, networking, and intelligence of production processes through the integration of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT).

Industrial 4.0 relies on nine key technological pillars, including big data and AI analysis, horizontal and vertical integration, cloud computing, augmented reality (AR), industrial internet of things (IIoT), additive manufacturing/3D printing, autonomous robots, digital twins, and cybersecurity.

The characteristics of Industry 4.0 include connectivity (forming close connections between devices, production lines, factories, etc.), data (integrating various data to support decision-making), integration (forming highly integrated production systems), and innovation (promoting innovation in manufacturing technology, etc).

Industrial 4.0 leverages intelligent technologies to thoroughly innovate the automation, monitoring, and analysis processes of supply chains, including big data, AI, IoT, and more.

Actual applications include collaborative design platforms, predictive maintenance, supply chain optimization, etc., helping enterprises improve efficiency, visibility, and sustainability.

Product Intelligence: Applying modern communication and sensing technologies to manufacturing to enable products to have traceability, tracking, and location capabilities.

Equipment Intelligence: Integrating industrial production equipment with information technology and artificial intelligence, endowing traditional production equipment with the abilities of perception, learning, analysis, and execution.

Production Intelligence: Meeting consumers' personalized customization needs, with product value and pricing determined by consumer demand.

Management Intelligence: Utilizing big data, cloud computing, and other technologies to form a complete intelligent management system, improving the accuracy and timeliness of data collection for enterprises.

Service Intelligence: Playing an indirect role in connecting consumers with producers.

 

In summary, Industry 4.0 is a comprehensive concept representing a new stage in manufacturing development. It achieves 智能化 and networking in the production process through the introduction of advanced technologies, thereby improving production efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing corporate competitiveness.