In our ongoing “On the Fringe” series, some of TI’s brightest minds discuss today’s biggest technological trends and solving the challenges of tomorrow.
We learn in history class about one long Industrial Revolution – that period of time starting in the late 1700s where factories were built to create goods the world needed.
Many historians will tell you, however, that three industrial revolutions have taken place, the first through the use of steam power, then the creation of the assembly line and finally early automation.
I believe we have now started a fourth industrial revolution – this one fueled by machine intelligence through advanced integrated circuits (ICs). We are on the cusp of this revolution, with many challenges and opportunities ahead.
By making our machines “smarter” in this fourth industrial revolution, we will see an enhanced manufacturing process with improved quality, reliability and safety, while keeping costs low and creating greater flexibility to meet the global demands for goods.
Until recently, having flexibility on the factory floor was a luxury few companies could afford. Machines and equipment on an assembly line were primarily designed for one function. To make changes on the line would require expensive and timely adjustments to equipment.
But often, the more a product line can be varied or differentiated for a particular customer, the more competitive it can be. Smart factories with intelligent equipment can handle these changes instantly and automatically, creating smaller production runs without significant increases in cost.
Creating this flexibility is not easy. Every piece of equipment in a factory must be “made smart,” otherwise known as “control intelligence.” This means that more intelligence must be built into control systems so that they automatically react to things they perceive in the environment. For example, a single screwdriver on an assembly line must be able to automatically adjust its torque based on what type of material it is working with (e.g. steel, carbon or plastic).
Multiply this one example across an entire factory floor, and there are potentially millions of points where control intelligence must be applied.
Flexible factories must also have state-of-the-art communication infrastructure. Smart factories with advanced communication tools can quickly adapt production when product changes occur through data entry in a business office or even down to unit-by-unit product adjustments directly through sales orders.
These communication systems can be wired and wireless but must be able to handle lots of data without using a lot of power.
While communication about orders and product changes stream in one direction, data about conditions on the factory floor stream the other way.
The more data that can be exchanged at faster speeds while using less power, the more cost effective, reliable and flexible an entire factory can be.
The fourth industrial revolution will also usher in a new era of reliability and safety for factories. Automated sensors deployed throughout the production line will help with predictive maintenance, so equipment can be repaired before it breaks down, saving time and money.
These well-maintained machines will also make it safer for workers on the factory floor. No longer will robotic arms need to be enclosed behind walls because sensors and controlled intelligence can tell when a person is nearby and adjust its positioning automatically.
These sensors will become the eyes and ears of the factory, powered through energy harvesting and created to be small, rugged and able to withstand extreme temperatures and vibrations. And most importantly, because they will be everywhere in a factory, the sensors must be inexpensive.
Every day our engineers push the boundaries of impossible in factory settings, ushering in this fourth industrial revolution by creating these types of low-cost, low-power, highly reliable and high-processing control intelligence, communications and automated-sensing ICs by. I can’t wait to see how highly integrated ICs will forever change the way products are produced.
To learn more about advancing the smart factory through technology innovation, read my white paper on the subject.