One year after the Covid-19 pandemic, we are well aware that the industrial scenario - as in all other sectors - is undergoing changes to adapt to the new circumstances. Some of them will remain forever, while others will probably be temporary.
What we can talk about, beyond what is causing the health situation, are the trends that seem to be new from 2021 onwards in the field of Industry 4.0. For this reason, we will now take a look at some of the trends that are expected to take center stage in the coming months.
The distributed cloud
The distributed cloud is one in which cloud services are distributed to multiple physical locations, but whose operations, governance and evolution remain the responsibility of the public cloud provider.
The fact that industrial companies have more of these services at their fingertips makes it possible to reduce the latency of operations, something that is increasingly crucial for the relationship between machines and workers and other machines. It also reduces the cost of data.
Moreover, it allows companies to take advantage of public clouds without having to manage their own private cloud, which is more complicated and expensive. The future of the cloud lies in the distributed cloud.
Maturing of 5G connectivity
Industry 4.0 is going to see exponentially greater use of 5G technology in the near future. The use of higher speeds on a more regular basis will have an impact on productivity gains in factory manufacturing processes. Both machines and workers themselves will benefit from the growing presence of 5G connectivity in a very noticeable way. In addition, companies will see increased efficiency related to tracking, cloud data storage and communications, among other aspects.
Improvements in product design
New trends in machine vision and virtual reality will change the way products are designed. Machine vision will make it possible to change the type and characteristics of products before prototypes are needed. This trend will mean that resources can be saved in product design and development.
Reduced energy use
Aware of the increasing importance of the environment in industry, the use of cleaner fuels for industrial production has been one of the most sought-after changes among Industry 4.0 participants. In addition to an increasing shift away from the use of fossil fuels, the growing trend emphasizes reducing the amount of energy used in factories. An important trend for 2021 because of the various implications it has and even more so in these times of pandemic crisis.
To do this, industries need to monitor the amount of energy they use and provide alternatives to reduce it. Reducing electricity costs will become one of the main tasks for many Industry 4.0 players. Excess electricity consumption has an impact on the environment and also substantially increases industrial production costs.
Consumers more present
The growing relationship between manufacturers and consumers (in both directions) is proving very beneficial for Industry 4.0. The increasing quantity and quality of data being handled and the feedback from consumers' experiences are making it possible to enrich production processes. Thus, getting closer to the tastes, desires and needs of consumers is becoming increasingly possible, allowing for greater consumer satisfaction and, therefore, an increase in sales and revenues.
In 2021, this more transparent and frequent relationship between producers and consumers must also have an impact on the amount of resources used in production. Products made to order by consumers will mean less waste of resources and less need for warehouse space, to name but two beneficial aspects.
