Industrial technology has increasingly developed. Not only new technology and the broader presence of IT tools in industry and companies but also the innovative paradigm for managing all the typical tasks, for example, from industrial production plants: from design to product quality control, from training technical staff, cbm maintenance to monitoring environmental conditions work.
The so-called “Fourth Industrial Revolution” represents a new age transition: the promise is not only a better production system in terms of quality and competitiveness but also a labor market that is ready to absorb new skills, safer places and more including human scale work and greater control over the environmental impact of human activities.
How is this transformation done in practice?
The first new thing concerns the technology used in production plants: robotic devices that are even more flexible and performing, but also interconnected, can be programmed in an increasingly refined and easy way and are able to detect data in assembly line activities directly.
A large amount of information collected at any time is processed to produce reports that are increasingly reliable and complete about the progress of production and centralization of the database and cloud computing increases the ease of this data (and not only) can be consulted with the operator.
Naturally, the importance of network security and IT systems grew in parallel, forcing the adoption of increasingly sophisticated technologies for authentication and protection of criminal activities (including industrial espionage) which also developed in digital keys.
Technologies such as viewers and other equipment for augmented reality promise to make employee jobs cheaper, guiding them step by step during the most complex or dangerous task performance.
One of the clearest and most interesting examples of possibilities offered by digital transformation concerns the evolution of management software, which, thanks to integration with production tools and equipment, can simplify and optimize even the most complex activities.
The CMMS case is symbolic: “A Computerized Maintenance Management System” allows you to easily manage one of the most strategic, but also the most complex and expensive activities that occur in any industrial plant: management of maintenance activities. The CMMS spreadsheet will minimize the so-called unnecessary mistakes that lead to the submission of excessive insurance claims, taking up a lot of time for each party involved in the vortex.
A single software, which is a simple program, makes it possible to manage all tasks where preventive maintenance is carried out: spare parts warehouse inventory, planning of individual care interventions, staff training, assignment and change assignments, survey and data organization related to the state of equipment activities, to real-time monitoring of production lines, even remotely and via mobile devices.
Thus, with no-cost investment, management of these fundamental activities is entrusted to the right, safe and reliable instrument, replacing old registers, Excel sheets, and coupons installed on the machine.
Future prospects
The technological evolution applied to the world of production in spurs and open scenarios for the near future sees more diffusion of artificial intelligence, for example with predictive maintenance systems which, based on mathematical models, will be able to predict damage and damage to production lines, only intervening if necessary.
The most important game is the game with “Work 4.0”: while the demand for some professional figures seems destined to collapse, already today there is an increasing demand for personnel with advanced digital skills.
Schools, professional institutes and universities face important challenges by quickly adapting their educational offerings and responding to increasingly demanding and changing labor markets. This is a trend that no one can block.
Talha Ali is your tech generalist, covering a wide spectrum of topics within the ever-evolving world of technology. With a curiosity for the latest innovations, industry trends, and breakthroughs. Whether it’s hardware, software, emerging technologies, or the intersection of tech with daily life, Talha’s articles provide readers with a well-rounded perspective on the dynamic landscape of the tech industry.
