Real-Time Implementation of a Fully Automated Industrial System Based on IR 4.0 Concept

Bashir Salah

doi:10.3390/act10120318

Abstract

With the advent of modern communication and control strategies, existing industrial enterprises are now being transformed as per Industrial Revolution (IR) 4.0 standards to maximize production rates and monetary gains. To cope with the pace of the modern technological revolution, the Government of Saudi Arabia has launched “Vision 2030”. This research article presents the full automation process of an existing production line at the College of Engineering, King Saud University, as per “Vision 2030” guidelines. Initially, a production line was designed to produce flavored yogurt bottles from a user-defined flavor and plain yogurt mixture. The research project was completed in two phases. During phase I, smart sensing, control, and automation equipment were used to minimize human intervention, the so-called semi-automated mode of operation. A bottle-feeding mechanism and robotic arms were later integrated to eliminate human intervention during the second phase. Moreover, during phase II, Node-RED, Telegram Bots, and a Raspberry Pi 4 controller were used to achieve IoT-based monitoring and control as per Industry 4.0 requirements. A comparative performance analysis was conducted between semi-automated and fully automated modes of operation to demonstrate the benefits of the fully automated operational mode. The performance of the fully automated system was found to be superior in comparison with the semi-automated system.

Highlights

The industrial yields and the associated financial gains can be successfully augmented by implementing automation and supervisory control strategies
Developing a self-governing and self-regulating production system based on modern sensing and monitoring equipment may be recognized as Industry 4.0 if it follows the standards and guidelines specified in the 4th Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0) [1,2,3]
This paper focuses on developing a fully automated production line based on IR 4.0 concepts using state-of-the-art modern technologies to highlight the challenges and opportunities associated with IR 4.0 implementation in KSA

Summary

Introduction

The industrial yields and the associated financial gains can be successfully augmented by implementing automation and supervisory control strategies. The proposed smart industrial systems depend on networked machines with growing levels of intelligence and self-sufficiency, moving far beyond conventional low-power sensors. Conventional resources are transformed into intelligent entities so that they can sense, act, and behave within a smart environment. Mass customization, superior quality, and improved productivity are the expected outcomes of IR 4.0 implementation in the industrial sector. Zhong et al [4] presented a comprehensive review of technologies associated with IR 4.0, such as intelligent manufacturing, Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled manufacturing, and cloud computing. The authors depicted global movements in intelligent manufacturing, involving governmental strategic plans from various countries and strategic plans from major multinational companies in the European Union, the United

Objectives

Results

Conclusion