Manufacturing Industry 4.0
Evolution and tech change
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1800
The American manufacture system
This method involves producing identical parts that are then assembled into finished products. Manual production is replaced by automatic production.
Advance
Production with capital goods
Automation shakes up employment
Impact
1800
Advance
Production with capital goods
The development of industrial machinery was a necessary step towards mass production. Precision equipment allows the production of identical parts with little labour and at low cost, something that was not possible with manual and traditional methods.
Impact
Automation shakes up employment
For the first time, production grows because of technological innovation instead of as a result of hiring more labour. This creates a need for professional retraining and leaves out professionals carrying out more manual and systematic work. As a consequence, some workers rebelled against machinery.
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1910 - 1920
Mass production
Each worker performs a specific task within the supply chain. This way, manufacturing time is cut in half, production increases and costs decrease.
Advance
Conveyor system
Specialising in one single task
Impact
1910 - 1920
Advance
Conveyor system
Installing mobile conveyors or platforms to carry products from one production phase to another, reduces transport and manufacturing times and favours professional specialisation.
Impact
Specialising in one single task
Automation does not destroy jobs, but it transforms them: as each person specialises in one task, training requirements become less strict and mobilisation between industries becomes easier. As factories expand, support tasks are given professional status, such as accounting, human resources and distribution.
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1920 - 1940
Healthcare to favour productivity
The repetitive nature of supply chains took its toll on the workers’ emotional health, which caused a decline in productivity.
Advance
Industrial psychology
Better conditions, greater efficiency
Impact
1920 - 1940
Advance
Industrial psychology
Experiments are conducted in factories to study human behaviour in organisations, which show that employees are more satisfied and more productive when they feel listened to by the company’s management.
Impact
Better conditions, greater efficiency
Research on motivation and productivity boosted the improvement of working conditions: job rotation and enlargement, providing workers with challenges, etc. The workers’ soft skills also became important, such as the ability to work under pressure and management by objectives.
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1970 - 1990
Beginnings of industrial automation
Advances in electronics made machines faster and more precise, reduced the need for human effort and improved the features of final products.
Advance
Transistor
More skilled industrial labour
Impact
1970 - 1990
Advance
Transistor
A device with a very low production cost used to switch or amplify electronic signals. It is used to manufacture TVs, computers, mobile phones, medical equipment, etc.
Impact
More skilled industrial labour
Automation and digitalisation reduce the need for labour in the manufacturing industry, but they instead cause a rise in employment in the services sector. However, training requirements to work in the industry become more strict and certain digital skills start to be demanded, such as installing and maintaining hardware and using specific software.
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1990 - 2000
Computerisation of processes
The evolution of computers and the creation of the World Wide Web — the origin of the Internet — triggered the development of computerised manufacture.
Advance
CAD/CAM
Retraining or obsolescence
Impact
1990 - 2000
Advance
CAD/CAM
It involves using computers in design tasks — such as creating and optimising blueprints and models — and production tasks - collecting data to improve efficiency, planning and management based on numerical measures.
Impact
Retraining or obsolescence
CAD/CAM technology increased the demand for professionals with high command of IT tools as many manual tasks became digital. At the same time, computerisation of processes reduced the need for control and supervision. As a result, many middle management positions disappeared.
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2010 - 2020
The Industry 4.0 is born
This term appeared in 2011 to refer to the integration of the production process activities thanks to new generation technologies and access to real-time data.
Advance
Internet of Things (IoT)
Better integration of professionals and technology
Impact
2010 - 2020
Advance
Internet of Things (IoT)
The Internet boom revolutionises how information is shared and analysed and allows the incorporation of technologies such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), which applies sensors and autonomous devices to the industry.
Impact
Better integration of professionals and technology
There is an increasing interaction between humans and machines in the industry: people program and maintain machines, while machines analyse and optimise human processes. In this context, it is imperative to invest in training, updating and technological innovation to guarantee industrial competitiveness.
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2020 - Future
A green and resilient industry
The transition towards Industry 5.0 is searching for a cutting-edge model in technology that, at the same time, ensures the wellbeing of the workforce and is more sustainable and resilient.
Advance
Artificial intelligence
New professional opportunities
Impact
2020 - Future
Advance
Artificial intelligence
In the future, this technology will not only be used to analyse large data volumes and to optimise product design. It will also be incorporated into final goods to adapt them to the use patterns of the consumer audience in real time.
Impact
New professional opportunities
The introduction of smart technologies will continue to be a source of job opportunities, and professionals of these technologies will be demanded. They will be more intuitive and require less technical knowledge. Besides, there will also be a demand for professional profiles which contribute to resource conservation and industrial sustainability.