Exploring the evolution of the manufacturing domain
The evolution of manufacturing to smart manufacturing and beyond is categorized into five industrial revolutions, as shown in the following figure:
Figure 7.5 – Evolution of smart manufacturing
These revolutions represent significant leaps in terms of productivity and working conditions and are also characterized by the usage of different core technologies. The different stages of evolution are detailed as follows:
- Industry 1.0: The first industrial revolution ushered in an era of mechanization and steam engines whereby activities that were earlier performed using human labor started to be performed using machines.
- Industry 2.0: The second revolution involved the usage of electricity to power industrial machines.
- Industry 3.0: The third industrial revolution relied on using electronics and computers for the automation of production tasks.
- Industry 4.0: Currently, we are in the Industry...