Sensing, Smart, and Sustainable Technologies in Cyber-Physical Manufacturing Systems.

• Date: 01 June 2020
• Author: Sawyer, Jennifer

1. Introduction

   Production systems are pivotal in smart manufacturing. (Zhang et al., 2020) The cutting-edge technologies and designs that are advancing under the guidance of Industry 4.0 integrate significant intricacy in the rhetoric of automation, as a result of the adoption of self-governing and semiautonomous agents that transfer data within networks of applications. (Fantini et al., 2020)

2. Conceptual Framework and Literature Review

   In Industry 4.0, the purpose of the cyber-physical systems is to supply resources to facilitate the assimilation of the physical within the virtual realm (Andrei et al., 2016a, b; Hollowell et al., 2019; Lazaroiu et al., 2019; Popescu et al., 2019; Swadzba, 2019), where embedded, networked, and interconnected systems supervise and regulate physical operations (Bratu, 2019; Ionescu, 2019; Nica et al., 2014; Sion, 2019), shaping data processes. (Lins and Oliveira, 2020) Enterprises in Industry 4.0 should become decentralized and accommodating, so as to swiftly adjust to constantly variable customer demands. (Beier et al., 2020) The relevance of improving human-technology synergetic reasoning (Cadge et al., 2019; Lazaroiu, 2018; Popescu, 2014; Sion, 2018) may reinforce human cognition while interacting with automation processes in interwoven manufacturing and operational settings. (Jiao et al., 2020) Industry 4.0 and the digitization of the production sector accelerate the sustainable economy leading, generating innumerable manufacturing-related job prospects. (Ghobakhloo, 2020)

3. Methodology and Empirical Analysis

   Using and replicating data from BCG, Capgemini, CompTIA, IW Custom Research, Kronos, Omdia, and PAC, we performed analyses and made estimates regarding the importance of technology advancements to future business performance. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

4. Results and Discussion

   Internet of Things, blockchain, and RFID sensor technologies maintain upgraded traceability and precision in complex supply chains, instantaneously economizing time, resources, and energy. (Sarkis et al., 2020) Digital twin may carry out action-oriented processes developed on horizontal harmonization with the technical performance of groundbreaking engineering applications. (Park et al., 2020) The Industry 4.0 technologies do not bring about important enhancements in environmental sustainability. (Chiarini et al., 2020) Economic sustainability functions (e.g. manufacturing efficiency and business model innovation) are likely to become the paramount results of Industry 4.0. (Ghobakhloo, 2020) Smart technologies can assist companies in connecting the design-implementation imbalance of sustainable business patterns. (Fiorentino et al., 2020) Synchronized implementation of lean tools and Industry 4.0 technologies impacts the operational effectiveness of smart factories. (Shahin et al., 2020) (Tables 1-8)

5. Conclusions and Implications

   Small and medium-sized enterprises are particularly confronting the difficult task of putting into action Industry 4.0 processes and technologies. (Rauch and Vickery, 2020) Digital business patterns should be adjusted to biointelligent outcomes and systems. (Miehe et al., 2020) Various scheduling algorithms and systems should take into account planning demands of real manufacturing systems. (Kim and Kim, 2020)

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