Industry 4.0: "We should seize opportunities and create added digital value"

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the rise of the digital workplace. This also applies to industry in general, where massive amounts of data are collected from countless sources. The so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution (or Industry 4.0) aims to use this data to gain actionable insights and target the development of marketable products, technologies, and services.

Another application is based on our K 2019 presentation at the IKV booth and pertains to the integration of additive manufacturing and injection molding. Digitalization in conjunction with our new machine technology facilitates a 2K application on a 1K injection molding machine that is both versatile and cost-effective, with the 3D printer taking over the functionalization at the rate of the injection molding machine.

To put these types of tangible Industry 4.0 applications into practice and to create a digital shadow from heterogeneous data sources, we are also working on building a relevant data architecture and infrastructure. This is designed to allow us to combine data from multiple sources, such as simulation data, production data, quality data and sales and logistics data, into one system in a cost-effective and flexible manner.

Which solutions do you consider especially groundbreaking for Industry 4.0?

Hopmann: To be successful, Plastics Industry 4.0 always requires a holistic approach and implementation, which makes it difficult to highlight individual projects or solutions. That being said, my personal favorite is automated process management by applying transfer learning. We managed to use AI to successfully accelerate the implementation of new processes. Bearing in mind that the machine operator also brings all his/her knowledge AND all his/her experience to the process setup, we are developing a methodology that automatically incorporates historical process setup data in the implementation of new processes. It is not surprising that this allows us to identify robust baseline process parameters even better and faster.

Methods like these, which combine current observations with simulations and know-how provide access to the full extent of knowledge and experience. It is a great pleasure for scientists like us, who have so far solely depended on knowledge and largely tuned out experience, to uncover this hidden treasure. This is a methodical revolution with invaluable potential, especially as it pertains to versatile solutions for small batch production.

How does Industry 4.0 promote greater sustainability across the plastics industry?

Hopmann:  What makes Industry 4.0 so attractive is the flexibility of the target function, which can always be expanded by any number of criteria and – provided that you have a properly implemented data architecture design – can be used to answer new questions. For Industry 4.0 to promote greater sustainability, the abstract parameter "sustainability" must be broken down to concrete quantities such as "CO₂ emissions per unit", allowing the optimization of the overall system by identifying dependencies and assessing scenarios. From an information technology perspective, these are additional independent variables that become mathematically manageable.

Based on these considerations, it is clear that sustainability in the plastics industry necessitates the digitalization of the underlying processes. There are simply too many variables and dependencies to illustrate them using paper and pencil or just an experience-based approach. That is why we have invited partners from industry and science to collaborate with us to digitize a circular economy for plastics and are delighted to undertake this as part of a German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) Flagship Project. We will use digitalization to open new opportunities for the plastics industry to drive greater sustainability.