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Sarsılmaz is getting prepared for the future through Industry 4.0 

There is a concept appearing very frequently before us in the recent years, bringing industry and technology together: Industry 4.0

This concept highlighted for the first time in 2012 Hannover Tradeshow held in Germany, has been playing a central role in the progress of industry ever since. Such approach that would be shaping the future is an inevitable part in development of Sarsılmaz, similar to several other industrial enterprises. Well, what does “Industry 4.0” mean and how does it contribute to the manufacturing process? Here are certain aspects you need to know about Industry 4.0...

As the pioneering terms under Industry 4.0, “Industry 4.0 Platform” is described and identified as “generation of a smart network of the machinery and processes used in the industry with the assistance of information and communication technology". From this perspective, Industry 4.0 means conglomeration of digitalization with traditional industrial processes. Such process incorporates smart chains starting from development, and leading to recycling after passing through production, assembly, product delivery and maintenance stages, including product lifecycles.

As a matter of fact, in order to have a better understanding of all of the aforesaid processes, it is worthwhile to go back a few centuries. Starting from the second half of the 18th Century, first industrial revolution lasting nearly one hundred years was characterized with the laying out of railways and invention of the steam engine. This was also the beginning of the mechanical production era.

Then the succeeding second industrial revolution started towards the end of the 19th Century and continued early 20th Century. The principal driving power of this process comprised of the start-up of using electric energy as well as the assembly line in the automotive industry by Henry Ford in 1913. Particularly in parallel to the assembly line, employees focusing on any specific part of the manufacturing process, brought forth serial production in conjunction.

Whereas the third industrial revolution started in the 1960’s and reached its summit gradually with the scientific progress towards semi-conductors, computers in the 1960’s, followed by personal computers in the 1970’s and 1980’s and eventually with the advent of the Internet in the 1990’s.

Thus, three industrial revolutions preceding Industry 4.0, in other words the fourth industrial revolution assumed essential points in history as extremely important scientific and technological breakthroughs for mankind.

And eventually there comes the fourth of our industrial revolutions, Industry 4.0, in other words the era of digitalization.

Towards the Internet of objects...

As was the case with the former industrial revolutions, fourth industrial revolution was guided by scientific and technological developments. These developments were led by rapidly progressing autonomous vehicle advents. Automobiles, planes, drones or vessels arrived at a point where they could move in an autonomous manner. In fact, the basic element underlying the same used to be inventions regarding artificial intelligence. On the other hand, progresses in the field of robotics and material science were amongst the factors laying ground for Industry 4.0.

It is right at this point that an essential concept is introduced: Internet of Things (IOT). This concept prevails as a digital trend constituting a bridge between physical and virtual universes. This system operating through networks in-between things and with machinery over the Internet, enables emergence of new business models. To this end, sensors and such other similar devices are used to connect things with virtual networks. In short, smart systems underlie in the background of digital production.

Our data are increasing in magnitude when sensors, robots and artificial intelligence are introduced, and so do the data requiring to be stored and saved. Data generated in micro seconds on a mili-line, calculations to be made by using the same and decisions to be adopted are referred to as BIG DATA. When it comes to so many data, communications, calculations, it is at the same time under development fast data processors, transmitters, algorithms and memories for saving and using these data.

What is of critical essence at this point is proper analysis of the term “smart”. The concept of “smart” referring to a system of machinery connected to a network and capable of interacting creates added value for the users. To this effect, it could be referred to three different trends in terms of terminology; smart factories, smart products and smart services.

What does a smart factory mean?

The expression “smart factory” basically means such adaptable manufacturing systems connected to one another via software as well as to networks generating added value at varying levels. Beyond all, operators make avail of rapid dissemination and utilization of data. In order to ensure the most reliable or predictable data exchange between equipment and services, network and real-time communication, scalability is yet another factor bringing forth success. On basis of decentralized intellect, such scalable architectures are able to make their own decisions.

Smart factories are structures based on data, analysis and systems with the capacity to act by basing on such analysis. To the effect, data mining, data analysis and efficient operations conducted connected to automation as a result of such data analysis prevail.

Smart factories are positioned at the heart of Industry 4.0. The purpose is to create an autonomous manufacturing process where men, machinery, facilities and products communicate with one another independently. Cyber-physical systems make production more flexible. This feature also creates a leading edge regarding applicability of customer demands through data processing.

Subject matters systems become functional upon consecutive lining of the following layers.

- Business (Organization and business processes)

- Functioning (Functioning of embedded element sor other components)

- Information (Necessary data)

- Communication (Access to data)

- Integration (Transition from physical to the digital world)

- Presence (Real object in the physical world)

These layers (strata) are applied in each and every stage of the production activities in any factory ranging from the incoming raw material to the outgoing finished product, thereby arriving at the result.

Sarsılmaz is getting prepared for Industry 4.0

As the innovative and creative segment of any current technology in the field of industry is doubtlessly an inevitable objective for Sarsılmaz as well, requiring due implementation. Within framework of superstructure R&D activities, while Sarsılmaz is stepping ahead with essential steps regarding product development, is on the other hand involved in an intensive activity to convert its production facilities into smart premises.

The main target at this point comprises of bringing together an effective organization structure with correct production elements. It is of crucial essence to merge data as our contemporary major asset with a systematic process that is renewable at all times, creating an autonomous infrastructure processing these data, transferring to the digital domain both the feedback data coming from the customers as well as data derived from scientific advances and thus creating the perfect product via autonomous structures making up such a system.

Future is shaped by Industry 4.0, yet Industry 4.0 itself is incessantly improved and renewed depending on the technological and scientific innovations. From this viewpoint, it is required to avoid losing time in adapting to Industry 4.0, because we are faced with an ever transforming structure.