SIGNIFICANCE OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING IN INDUSTRY4.0

INDUSTRY 4.0 :

The 4th Industrial revolution’s main focus is to improve and innovate the way companies are currently manufacturing. I4.0 aims to integrate emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, Industrial Internet of things(IIOT), and cloud computing into their factories with pre-existing productions and manufacturing methods.

Objective: To build "smart factories" that are completely automated and equipped with the latest technologies along with the facility to self-optimize all the processes and software..

                                                                                                                                                      source:AVSystem

It is always better to look back into history to understand the future. The reasoning we develop from the past will provide reassurance to face the uncertainty in the future. So here's a quick throwback to the previous industrial revolutions and what transitions they actually aimed at.

A Lil throwback:

First Industrial Revolution: 18th Century

The transition from human and animal power to water and steam power.

Second Industrial revolution: 19th Century

Introduction of oil, gas, and electric power alongside advanced communication tools like the telephone and telegraph.

Third Industrial Revolution: Mid-20th Century

Addition of computers and data analysis to manufacturing and digitalization by introducing PLCs.

Significance of AM in I4.0:

Now that we have understood the tech development phases in history, let's see what additive manufacturing as an emerging tech has got to contribute to the fourth industrial revolution. When one understands the key advantages and capabilities of additive manufacturing over other conventional manufacturing methods, one will be easily able to appreciate its significance. let's discuss a few of them below.

• The high degree of design freedom that this technology offers will be one of the greatest advantages that wants us to hold on and exploit this tech much more.
• AM reduces the cost and time of prototyping, which enables us to produce more tests with iterative changes and see results of improvement in real-time.
• And this process requires effective communication and data transfer between devices. This entitles companies to digitalize and invest more in IIOT, AI & ML . which means moving towards Industry 4.0 tech stack.
• This also helps to reduce the spare parts inventory cost and component assembly cost.
• Added to that it can also enable the process of replacing discontinued parts and components.