The Plant’s Been Smart for Years

Is the factory smarter than it used to be? From recent buzzwords, you’d think we’ve entered a new dimension in industrial plants, where robots run all physical functions wirelessly and humans do little more than program ever more capable robotics.

Some of that is actually true, but it’s been true for a while.

A depiction of the stages of industrial development.
(Source: LinkedIn)

We’ve entered an era of sparkling new buzzwords that describe a shiny new industrial world: The Internet of Things, Industry 4.0, The Smart Plant, Additive Manufacturing, and Big Data. I recently saw IoT mentioned in a TV ad, which reminded of the moment when I first saw an AOL ad on TV and realized that even my neighbors knew about new technology now.

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Point is, Industry 4.0 isn’t new. We’ve seen major shifts in plant technology over recent decades, but most of it appeared a good 15 years ago.

Here's a list of technological advances that appeared in manufacturing 15 years ago:

I’ve spent considerable time in conference sessions over the last couple years listening to discussions about the brave new world of Industry 4.0, IoT, Big Data, and 3D printing. As the speakers ticked off the details of the emerging technological wonders, I’d think, “I covered all this before -- 15 years ago.” The technology was quite new then, and it did revolutionize the plant.

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Some things are very new. Processing speeds are making analytics easier, faster, and less expensive. 3D printing has emerged from the prototype world and is now getting used to produce usable objects. New materials are lighter and stronger, and cars and ships are learning to drive themselves.

Let’s look at what’s really new:

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Mostly what we’re seeing as revolutionary is the use of plant technology in non-manufacturing verticals. That’s the big one that’s creating all the fuss. So much of what we recognize as new and disruptive has been used in plants for years. It is a big deal that it’s showing up outside the plant. That’s good news for industry and for our lives -- especially if it reduces death rates in cars. But most of it is not new.

Rob Spiegel has covered automation and control for 15 years, 12 of them for Design News. Other topics he has covered include supply chain technology, alternative energy, and cyber security. For 10 years he was owner and publisher of the food magazine, Chile Pepper.

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