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The world has already gone through a few industrial revolutions. Now, we have finally reached the fourth. Industry 4.0 in Brazil is still more of a concept than an application, but it has already begun to take its first steps. There are some inherent challenges to Industry 4.0 in Brazil, such as the country's industrial culture, as well as its structural and technological limitations. In the northern hemisphere and globally, Industry 4.0 has become increasingly present and has had some significant impacts on the labor market. In our country, this stage seems to be advancing. But, after all, what is Industry 4.0, and what is its status in Brazil? We will talk about that here. Check it out! ALSO READ: • What is process optimization?
• What is artificial vision?
• Artificial intelligence in industry
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What is Industry 4.0
Industry 4.0 has been revolutionizing the way companies manufacture, improve, and distribute their products in the market. Manufacturers are integrating new technologies into their production facilities, as well as into industrial operations. The technologies in question are: • Cloud computing
• Computer vision
• Machine learning
• Artificial intelligence (AI)
• The Internet of Things
These "smart" factories equip themselves with embedded software, advanced sensors, and robots that analyze and collect data, allowing for a more... intelligent decision-making process. Even greater value is added when production operations data is combined with operational data from customer service, the supply chain, and other systems, creating brand new levels of visibility, transparency, and insight into the gathered information. These digital technologies lead to an increase in automation, as well as improved prediction of necessary maintenance, self-optimization of process improvements, and a new level of efficiency and responsiveness to consumers. The development of smart industries provides an unprecedented opportunity for the manufacturing industry to enter the fourth industrial revolution. Analyzing large amounts of big data collected by factory sensors ensures real-time visibility of production factors and provides tools for conducting predictive maintenance, in order to reduce equipment downtime. Thus, Industry 4.0 technologies and concepts have a broad enough application to extend to all types of industries, from manufacturing to oil, gas, mining, and other sectors. If you want to dive a little deeper, watch the mini-documentary below: https://youtu.be/u8aWznEKTyo?si=dp8cGhSNOok0mNtj
What are the technologies of Industry 4.0?
Industry 4.0 brought the creation of smart industries, factories, and companies, partly thanks to the widespread use of digital technologies in processes that were previously manual. Connectivity, automation, and optimization are the driving force in the digital transformation brought by Industry 4.0. There are several technologies working together to reach maximum potential in this new manufacturing movement. Among them, we have: • Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT): IIoT is when there is interconnectivity and collaboration of data, machines, and people in manufacturing processes. This technology uses connected sensors, machines, and data, applying them directly to production. Every aspect of manufacturing operations can connect to the IIoT, and the data it creates can be used to optimize the efficiency of manufacturing operations;
• Automation: the main objective of a connected factory is to maximize efficiency. To achieve this, automation must be adopted in some or all manufacturing processes. Automation, whether through AI or robots, becomes possible through the interconnectivity and communication that occurs within a facility where Industry 4.0 is present;
• Big Data: since all functions of manufacturing operations are monitored and generate data, there is an immense amount of data to be analyzed, "one by one." Imagine the work of doing this manually! Therefore, big data analytical systems can use AI and machine learning technologies to quickly process this data, providing the information needed to make improvements in industrial operations;
• Artificial Intelligence: artificial intelligence and its subset of machine learning are the basic requirement of a smart industry. The premise around this new industrial revolution is to take previously manual processes and use AI and its tools to solve them. AI can use the data generated in the connected industry to optimize machinery, reprogram workflows, and generally identify improvements that can be made to increase efficiency and profit.
Industry 4.0 in Brazil
Even though Brazil has many natural resources and a consolidated industrial park in certain regions, industry 4.0 has not yet taken off. In fact, it is still in a very incipient stage. This means that these factors of AI, Internet of Things, and the like are not yet present in the overwhelming majority of Brazilian industry. Brazil is still going through a slow economic phase, and industry only represents around 11% of the country's total GDP. This index, in fact, has been falling. Furthermore, Brazil also fell in the Global Innovation Index, which evaluates different countries in terms of education, investments, and productivity growth. Some experts and organizations claim that Brazil has the potential to do well in industry 4.0, but, until now, we are not well prepared in structural terms. Brazilian industry has low complexity, something completely opposite to what is required for the interconnected industry of this new revolution. For this reason, Pix Force believes it can serve the country by offering technologies to solve industry problems, contributing, in fact, to the 4th industrial revolution.
What are the challenges of Industry 4.0 in Brazil?
There are several challenges to Industry 4.0 in Brazil. The transition itself is something that takes time, occurring in a gradual manner. For this change to happen, there is a need to adapt the entire production chain, including suppliers. However, balancing the change among different sectors is difficult and takes time and effort. Additionally, the infrastructure in the country is still weak and outdated. Industry 4.0, by its nature, is advanced, featuring cutting-edge technologies on the market, including ultra-high-speed internet, as there is a large flow of information occurring across the different processes of this type of industry. Bringing in the necessary digital means is also challenging. This type of change, of course, also requires a high investment. However, with the country going through disadvantageous economic conditions, it becomes complicated to reach the investment goals that are necessary to fully bring Industry 4.0 to the country.
Conclusion
Industry 4.0 has arrived in the world to stay, but it will still take a while to reach some countries, such as Brazil. For this, we need more investments, as well as a general change in culture, and that it not only opens up to change, but appropriates it in an integral way. Industry 4.0 in Brazil can bring many benefits, from jobs to economic progress, as well as high competitiveness in the international market, if fully achieved. For this, we still need to take a few (several) steps forward. For this very reason, Pix Force has a proposal to contribute to the advancement of Industry 4.0, promoting products based on computer vision and artificial intelligence. Get in touch with us!
Fabio Caraça
Fábio Caraça is the Chief Growth Officer at Pix Force. He leads Pix Force's transformation into a scalable SaaS operation, combining strategic vision, culture, and high-impact execution.
