Decarbonizing, a path for industry 4.0 new business models
Industry 4.0 has led to a revolution in the manufacturing sector with the adoption of technologies such as artificial intelligence or data analytics, as well as the incorporation of robotics to automate processes with the aim of escalating competitiveness. Spain entered the top 10 countries that in 2020 bet on the installation of industrial robots, ahead of Canada or the United Kingdom, with a total of 38,000. But is this going to mean an increase or a decrease in your company’s carbon footprint? Do cobots participate in the industrial revolution 4.0?
This is one of the main trends discussed in this new Industry 4.0 era. The decarbonization of the industrial sector is an opportunity to create new business models. According to data from EIT Manufacturing, the manufacturing industry emits 15,810 million tons of CO2 each year, which is a great challenge for industrial companies to commit to sustainability strategies and policies. Therefore, a new market niche arises in the creation of new companies and business models with solutions that help the decarbonization of the sector.
Are the cobots elements of industry 4.0?
The pattern to follow in the coming years is to encourage an industry 4.0 that, while producing, regenerates. A closed circle, where technology will be clean, and all the waste generated can be put back into the value chain is what cobots should help.
Collaborative robotics are at the service of the planet as enablers for industries to gain greater control over production processes inside the industry 4.0. pArms are a good example on how collaborative robots’ power can create a more conscious usage of materials, turning sustainability and care for the planet into differential values with which they will make their activity last. Collaborative robotics are conceived as an ally of the human workforce. Robotic arms help to develop productive processes in a safer, more flexible, and efficient environment.
Advantages of cobots inside industry 4.0 manufacturing // Cobots in the industrial revolution 4.0, examples
- Reduced amount of defective or leftover products
- Less waste generation
- Less error margin
- Controlled negative impact on the planet
- Usage of innovative materials
Procedures of the revolution 4.0
In this way, leading R&D companies can use more resources, staff and automation solutions to innovate with new materials that are more durable, biodegradable or design circular production systems. Intelligent automated solutions are in high demand in production lines in all types of industries, because they are able to make better use of all the consumables they work with. One example is the application of collaborative robots for welding tasks, where the cobot makes smarter use of the adhesive material, wasting less raw materials. By performing the task with greater precision and fewer errors, the amount of wasted product is also reduced. The same is true for cutting, assembly and finishing applications. Cobots are not only a sustainable solution, but benefit providers for industry 4.0 manufacturing companies as well.