Industry 5.0: The Synergy of Humans and Machines for Innovative Manufacturing

By Saumitra Mani Tiwari ?|| Director-Product Assurance,?Solulever

What’s Next after Industry 4.0?

There have been four technological shifts in the field of manufacturing to date, since the introduction of large-scale production in plants. It started in the 18th Century in England, with the first Industrial Revolution which made its way towards the United States by the end of the 18th Century. The first industrial revolution improved the processes and tools used and impacted Industries such as mining, textile, agriculture, and glass manufacturing. The second Industrial Revolution came with the replacement of factory workers with machines, making way for capitalism and significantly increasing the overall economic processes of nations. The third Industrial revolution known as Industry 3.0 emerged as the digital revolution and carried throughout the 20th century. It resulted in high-scale automation of the processes through memory programmable controls, computers digital cellular phones and the internet. Then came Industry 4.0 which has been around for more than 10 years. Industry 4.0 or the fourth industrial revolution runs on?smart technologies such as artificial intelligence(AI), cloud connectivity, Edge computing and real-time data analytics empowering the world of manufacturing and Industries. However as more and more businesses face unprecedented levels of competition and ever-rising consumer demands for speed and customization, Industry 5.0 aims to address these challenges by further empowering industries through the synergy of human creativity with mechanized efficiency.

Foundation of Technological Advancement

The first three Industrial revolutions were powered by groundbreaking new technologies: steam engines generated power, and assembly lines increased efficiency by replicating manufacturing steps and making the process sequential. Calculation and communication advancements were ushered in by computers and the internet. These Industrial eras were labelled revolutions because the technologies that propelled them were game changers, revolutionizing business and manufacturing. The Fourth Industrial Revolution - Industry 4.0 - is empowered by smart technologies. It encompasses any and all Industry 5.0 advancements and is defined by eleven critical “pillars” -

1. Simulation, Process and Digital Twins.
2. Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning
3. Edge and hyper scaler Computing
4. Cloud Connectivity
5. Additive Manufacturing
6. Augmented Reality
7. Autonomous robots
8. Big data and analytics
9. Cybersecurity
10. Horizontal and Vertical System Integration
11. The Internet of Things (IoT)

Thus Industry 5.0, as we perceive it today, it’s not about another Industrial Revolution, instead, it augments the already running Industry 4.0 technologies and processes by strengthening the collaboration between humans and robots.

The eleven pillars of Industry 4.0 are expanded upon through a drive to place human creativity and well-being at the centre of these pillars. This merger combines the speed and efficiency of machine technologies with the ingenuity and creativity of human counterparts.

Principles Driving Industry 5.0

• Human-Centric Approach:?An Industry that is human-centric, puts the needs and interests of its workforce at the centre of the production process. Instead of enquiring what workers can do with newer technologies, Industry 5.0 will ask what the new technology can do for the workers. Machines and robots, though tireless and precise, lack the capacity for critical and creative thinking to make decisions and act on behalf of their human counterparts. By working in tandem with humans, robots fulfil their intended purpose of providing assistance and enhancing our lives.
• Sustainable Manufacturing?Industry helps business reduce their environmental impact by developing circular economy processes. Other sustainability shifts include reducing energy consumption, greenhouse emissions, and waste, as well as avoiding the depletion and degradation of natural resources.
• Adaptability: With a high degree of robustness the manufacturing industry is adaptable and capable of withstanding disruptions. It supports critical infrastructure during difficult times. The COVID-19 pandemic has given us insight into the shortcomings of the current Industrial scenario and emphasised the importance of increased agility and adaptability in the supply chain and other manufacturing components.

Synergizing Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0

To unlock the potential of Industry 5.0, workforce-focused initiatives overlay Industry 4.0’s Technological metamorphosis. The aim is to create seamless coordination between humans and machines. Some ways in which appropriate technologies can accomplish this are as follows:

• Machine/Worker coordination can be customized by making use of embedded sensors, actuators and machine learning technologies to facilitate the adaptation of collaborative robots.
• Artificial Intelligence-powered human/robot collaborations are empowering sustainability compliance by reducing waste and improving overall efficiency around the resources consumed.
• Big Data and advanced data management and analysis systems can be leveraged with AI to reduce waste to a minimum and utilize human capabilities to the maximum.
• Process/Digital twins and simulation models minimize wear and tear on actual machinery and assets and streamline the learning and effectiveness of human users. This will yield maximum innovation and creativity with minimal risk involved.
• Tools like virtual reality and collaborative robots enhance business efficiency through the synergy of smart automation, creativity and problem-solving skills of human/robot partners.

The Dawn of Factories 5.0

The prolonged benefit of adopting Industry 5.0 gets aligned with the core values of an Industry. For example, better talent attraction and retention, greater energy savings and enhanced resilience towards all things. These can be a few benefits of successfully adjusting to Industry 5.0 and the new world of manufacturing.

Adaptation to Industry 5.0 significantly enhances workforce efficiency and product quality. Industry 5.0 brings together highly skilled workers and collaborative robots (COBOTS) to function side-by-side. This evolved hybrid of Machines and Humans is equipped with sensors, actuators, and AI-powered controllers, allowing the workforce to function next to cutting-edge technology in a much safer environment. The collaboration between humans and Cobots can help unlock innovation that was previously overburdened with repetitive daily tasks. The automobile sector is the prime example of the adoption of collaborative robots, using them in critical components in assembly lines by repetitive and dangerous tasks such as welding, assembly and painting. Humans are freed to attend to more complex tasks in addition to operating and maintaining collaborative robots. This includes pairing humans and collaborative robots in quality assurance tasks, where “robot vision“ can autonomously spot defects or flaws not immediately visible to human eyes.

The collaboration between cobots and humans brings the potential to personalise and customise goods to an Industrial level. Some of the Industry 5.0 tools which will help achieve advanced customizable manufacturing are:

• Accurate sensors, actuators, 3D scanners, VR and other tools make the customisation experience more accessible for humans and customers.
• Manufacturing of Custom Components according to their need can be served with Machine Learning and Smarter Artificial Intelligence solutions.
• Process Twins, Digital Twins and Simulations when combined with Unified Data management Platforms, will help in prototyping the solutions closer to reality and transforming the quality of information for the Customers.

The path leading to Industry 5.0 starts with impeccable planning, strong standards, visionary strategies, open and inclusive communication, and a resilient Industry 4.0 Foundation. It shall also yield results putting companies leaps and bounds ahead of their competition.

Now is the time for manufacturing to embrace Industry 4.0 and initiate the transformation to Industry 5.0 and Brabo is the perfect stepping stone to do that. Industry 5.0 ensures a creative and personalized output for customers, while also providing a safer and more enjoyable work environment for shop floor workers. By embracing these principles, we look forward to witnessing the fusion of human ingenuity and technological efficiency in the manufacturing landscape.

Resources

1. Zhang C, Chen YA (2020) A review of research relevant to the emerging industry trends: industry 4.0, IoT, blockchain, and business analytics. J Industr Integr Manag.
2. Abubakr M, Abbas AT, Tomaz I, Soliman MS, Luqman M, Hegab H (2020) Sustainable and smart manufacturing: an integrated approach. Sustainability.
3. Amr Adel, Future of industry 5.0 in society: human?centric solutions, challenges and prospective research areas.

About the author:

Saumitra Mani Tiwari?|| Director-Product Assurance

Saumitra?has over 12 years of experience in driving and solving projects involving Digital Transformation, SAP and Process Integrations. He has been the driving force behind various successful implementations involving Smart Factories, Supply chain Automation, Warehouse management automation to GST tax implementation for end-of-end processes.