• Connecting your Factory to Robotics

  10 September, 2017 at 12 AM-15 September, 2017 at 12 AM

  Examples of how companies are connecting robots to ERP, the cloud, their production systems and even robot-to-robot communications.

• IMTS 2018

  10 September, 2018-15 September, 2018, Chicago

  Visit JR Automation In Booth #236275 at IMTS 2018 in Chicago.

• Vision Guided Robotics

  10 September, 2018 at 12 AM-15 September, 2018 at 12 AM

  Vision and robots is an exciting marriage of two technologies that are both constantly evolving, especially with the advent of 3D vision and powerful software algorithms.

• Motek 2018

  8 October, 2018-11 October, 2018, Stuttgart

  JR Automation will be at MOTEK, the world’s leading trade fair dedicated to the fields of production and assembly automation, feed technology and material flow, streamlining through handling technology, and industrial handling.

• Industrial Transformation ASIA-PACIFIC 2018

  16 October, 2018-18 October, 2018

  JR Automation will be showcasing at Industrial Transformation ASIA-PACIFIC, a show specifically curated for the region as it ushers in the fourth Industrial Revolution.

• FABTECH 2018

  6 November, 2018-8 November, 2018, Atlanta

  Visit us in Booth #C11675 to see our brand-new, modular Global Welding Platform (GWP) cell.

• Job Fair

  8 November, 2018-10 November, 2018, Holland

  Join us for a job fair & open-house at our Quality Drive facility on Thursday, Nov. 8 from 5-8 PM and on Saturday, Nov. 10 from 8:30 - 11:30 AM.

• ATX West 2019

  5 February, 2019-7 February, 2019, Anaheim

  Visit JR Automation In Booth #4604 at ATX West 2019 in Anaheim.

• Hannover Messe 2019

  1 April, 2019-5 April, 2019, Hannover

  JR Automation team members from the United States and Europe will be hosting visitors within the company’s booth to discuss emerging technologies, industry advancements, and specific customer projects.

• Automate 2019

  8 April, 2019-11 April, 2019, Chicago

  JR Automation is excited to introduce our new RFSS Robotic Sortation System at AUTOMATE 2019.

• AeroDef 2019

  29 April, 2019-2 May, 2019, Long Beach

  Visit JR Automation in booth #1711 to see the RFSS Robotic Sortation System and Lean Assembly Station.

• Industrial Transformation ASIA-PACIFIC 2019

  22 October, 2019-24 October, 2019

  JR Automation will be showcasing at Industrial Transformation ASIA-PACIFIC, a show specifically curated for the region as it ushers in the fourth Industrial Revolution.

• FABTECH 2019

  11 November, 2019-14 November, 2019, Chicago

  Meet the JR Automation team of experts at FABTECH 2019 from Nov. 11-14 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.

• ATX West 2020

  11 February, 2020-13 February, 2020, Anaheim

  Visit JR Automation In Booth #4504 at ATX West 2020 in Anaheim.

• MODEX 2020

  9 March, 2020-12 March, 2020, Atlanta

  Visit JR Automation in booth #6766 at MODEX.

• RIA Robotics Week Virtual Conference 2020

  8 September, 2020-11 September, 2020

  Join JR Automation at RIA Robotics Week Virtual Conference

• ATX West 2021

  10 August, 2021-12 August, 2021, Anaheim

  Visit JR Automation In Booth #4228 at ATX West 2021 in Anaheim, CA.

• FABTECH 2021

  13 September, 2021-16 September, 2021, Chicago

  JR Automation will be showcasing at Fabtech 2021, North America's largest metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing event.

• The Battery Show 2021

  14 September, 2021-16 September, 2021, Novi

  JR Automation will be showcasing at The Battery Show, the #1 Advanced Battery and Electric Vehicle Event in North America

• AeroDef 2021

  16 November, 2021-18 November, 2021, Long Beach

  JR Automation will be showcasing at AeroDef 2021, Visit our team of experts in booth #723

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WHAT IS INDUSTRY 4.0?

The term “Industry 4.0” is ubiquitous within the automation and industrial manufacturing industries. But, what does it mean, and how is it applied?

Germany’s Education and Research minister coined the term back in 2006, i.e., before the iPhone. However, it wasn’t until 2011, when the idea was more formally presented, that the term gained traction as a buzzword. The 4.0 signifies the idea of the fourth wave of industrial revolution: the first wave was steam power and mechanization; the second was mass production and electrical powered equipment; the third was computers and automation; and the fourth is cyber-physical systems.

There are four principles to Industry 4.0:

1.     Inter-operability – Man and machine connecting and communicating together

2.     Information Transparency – Virtualization/simulation of the real world using information

3.     Technical Assistance – Automating tasks through meaningful data collection

4.     Decentralized Decisions – Decision making, relevant to the work, at the system level with the ability to delegate any outside decisions to a higher level of control

Inter-operability is portrayed through collaborative robots, augmented reality, safety scanners, or just-in-time manufacturing. Collaborative robots, or cobots, are at the forefront of this principle. Robot and human interaction helps bridge the gap between full automation and the tasks that rely on the dexterity and flexibility of a human operator. Cobots are sometimes seen as the sole technology in Industry 4.0, when in reality, they only provide a small advantage compared to the rest of the technology driving the fourth industrial revolution.

Information Transparency is most commonly viewed as SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) and MES systems. SCADA systems have been around for years, long before Industry 4.0 was labelled as such. Through the Internet of Things and new protocols like IO Link, SCADA systems have an important role to play in Industry 4.0, due to the amount of data that is collected by the system and smart sensors.

Smart sensors output a lot of data, most of which would be meaningless when looked at discretely, but over time the data can be used in many ways. Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) calculations and Statistical Process Control (SPC) are typical uses for this data, but predictive maintenance and just-in-time production are keys ways this data is used in Industry 4.0. By collecting raw data from a servo, a predictive maintenance algorithm can anticipate when the servo might fail, even before it does. This reduces unplanned downtime and can even reduce spare parts inventory, since a servo can be ordered when the data specifies that it will fail soon.

Technical Assistance automates repetitive or unsafe tasks, such as report generation or heavy material handling. Rather than a person writing down data by hand, or using Excel to create a report, the SCADA system can be used to print quality assurance reports after each part has been run through a QA station. Also, collaborative robots can be used to transfer a part deemed too heavy for a person or even hold tools while a person moves the robot to where the tools are required.

Decentralized Decisions puts the processing on the machine. By allowing a machine to make decisions in its immediate environment, autonomy can be used to help reduce cycle time. For example, an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) programmed with decentralized decisions can make its own decisions on how to avoid an obstacle. Making the AGV smart helps avoid downtime due to people impeding its path, since rather than stopping and waiting, the AGV continues to move in a safe manner.

There are a lot of new technologies, but through research, partnerships with suppliers and tech companies, and collaboration with our customers, JR Automation has been creating equipment in the Industry 4.0 spectrum for years. We have the capability to integrate SCADA and MES systems with our custom equipment or preexisting machines. Our standard practice is to provide equipment that notifies our customer of machine efficiency and, if an issue occurs, where the problem is occurring. JR Automation’s Software Integration Team can also provide solutions for equipment that allows our customer to program new part types offline or automatically introduce new sequences based on an uploaded CAD file, creating adaptable and flexible equipment. While the industry in general is still exploring the number of use cases associated with this level of connectivity and data collection, JR is committed to investing in Industry 4.0 technologies and best practices. 

Here’s a glimpse at available technology and how it fits into the principles of Industry 4.0:

Technology	Interoperability	Information Transparency	Technical Assistance	Decentralized Decisions
Big Data		x
Cobots	x		x
AGVs	x		x	x
SCADA/MES		x	x	x
3D Inspection				x
Predictive Maintenance		X
Offline Programming	x		x

ARTICLE SOURCES 

 "Industrie 4.0: Mit dem Internet der Dinge auf dem Weg zur 4. industriellen Revolution". Vdi-nachrichten.com (in German). 2011-04-01.

Hermann, Pentek, Otto, 2016: Design Principles for Industrie 4.0 Scenarios, accessed on 4 May 2016