The Fourth Industrial Revolution is Among Us

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, also known as Industry 4.0, the Factory of the Future, the Smart Factory, the Industrial Internet, Industrie 4.0 and the 4th Industrial Revolution, is quickly emerging and affecting our lives in new ways. It is helping to streamline robots and their automated operations, while also optimizing costs, turning the potential for enterprise-wide automated business transformation a reality.

This 4th industrial revolution is the new fusion of automation and data exchange that has created the perfect environment for these “smart factories.” It is a new connectivity that combines and networks all of the advancements in our technology world: intelligent systems (cyber-physical systems), the Internet of Things, and cloud computing. All of these items are programmed to work together to enable humans and machines to cooperate and communicate, with each other and among themselves, in real time and even remotely. All of the devices, systems, and people in the production chain are linked and able to deliver data in the right form whenever and wherever necessary.

Industrial Revolution 4.0 is continuing to prove that humans are unstoppable in their innovative solutions towards a more effective and intelligent society. Since the beginning, humans have been on a constant search to continue innovating and finding new solutions that make creating products more affordable, smarter, and also make our lives a little easier. The revolutions of the past (water and steam power, electric power, and digital power) have truly transformed the society, governing structures, and human identities in which they are found. All of these individual revolutions have aided the manufacturing businesses to continue their unvarying search for better and more economically feasible solutions.

The First Industrial Revolution began to use fossil fuels and mechanical power for energy sources. The Second Industrial Revolution brought electrical distribution, wired and wireless, and new forms of power generation. The Third Revolution brought rapid advances in computing power, enabling new ways of generating, processing, and sharing information. It also used these electronics and IT systems to further the automation of manufacturing. All of these revolutions were driven not only by the researchers, inventors, and designers, but more importantly the people who adopt and employ them in their everyday lives. The arrival of Industry 4.0 really has been a reflection of the desires of its citizen's and their choices.

So the new industrial revolution we see today is really of no surprise. Reliant on all of the revolutions that existed before it, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is offering entirely new capabilities for people and machines and ways in which technology becomes embedded within societies. The level of manufacturing agility could make it possible to connect customer needs with the ability for the company to deliver a product, potentially on demand. Manufacturers will be able to listen and then act to better adapt to the consumer's demands as they can access real-time intelligence and analytics, on-demand.

If we have the courage to take collective responsibility for the changes underway, and the ability to work together to raise awareness and shape new narratives, we can embark on restructuring our economic, social and political systems to take full advantage of emerging technologies.

It is clear that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is here to stay and if you are in the manufacturing business, sitting on the sidelines is no longer a good idea. Robotic technology is well on its way to revolutionizing how the success of a business, the benefits are increasingly clear and attainable to those of all sizes.

Robots.com offers a wide range of new and refurbished robots from Fanuc, Motoman, ABB, Universal Robots, and KUKA. Our experts are proud of the quality and level of service we provide to our customers. We believe that we are truly aiding the progress of the fourth industrial revolution and increasing the advantages and benefits to all those involved with robotics! If you want more information from the representatives at Robots.com, contact them online or at 877-762-6881.