What is Industrial Revolution 4.0?
Industrial revolution 4.0 (Industry 4.0) refers to the stage of industrial progress that we are currently experiencing, which is marked by the rapid increase of digital connection (with billions of people carrying mobile devices worldwide) and real-time data exchange.
Historically, the first Industrial Revolution mechanized manufacturing with steam and water power. The second began when electricity enabled factories to run day and night and handle mass production. The third, or digital, revolution is considered to have started with the computer age in the mid-1900s. Industry 4.0 marks an extension of that digital revolution.
The term was popularized by Klaus Schwab, German engineer and economist, in his 2016 book “The Fourth Industrial Revolution.” Today, this trend is revolutionizing the way the manufacturing industry uses smart technologies to optimize production processes.
While every manufacturing firm is different, they all strive for connectedness and access to real-time data across processes, products and workers. That’s where Industry 4.0 comes in.
If you want to learn more about industrial revolution 4.0 technologies, explore this article that answers the following: