In the UK, more than two-thirds (67%) of respondents in the Annual Manufacturing Report Survey have said that they're 'aware' of Industry 4.0. 23% are already moving over to digitisation and automation of their systems, while 62% are actively planning the move. Source: Annual Manufacturing Report

Robotics as a Service (RaaS), which allows manufacturers to leverage the benefits of industrial and collaborative robots in their facility without having to buy them, is becoming popular.

The robots of the future will benefit from technology advances such as increased human-robot interaction, increased mobility, and multi-robot coordination.

The robots of the future will exceed the capabilities of today’s robots. They will be able to automating tasks that were previously impossible. Many of these robots of tomorrow–the ones that will transform the way we work, the way we travel, the way we purchase items and more–are under development today.

Across the UK and around the world, both technology experts and the media have focused a great deal of attention on the Internet of Things (IoT). Some marvel at its ability to make the lives of consumers easier. Others worry that an increasingly digitally automised world will no longer need as many jobs in manufacturing and other sectors. 

Automated warehouse systems are a great way to streamline the functions of a warehouse to improve efficiency, flexibility, reliability and turnaround time. These systems dramatically improve a range of aspects of warehousing and the distribution of goods, as, in an automated warehouse, processes such as retrieval, storage, and movement of goods are carried out automatically. This means that the staff in the warehouse do not need to undertake monotonous and strenuous tasks, and error-rates are low.

Smart Manufacturing: The Autonomous Future of Industry

Implementing industrial robots in a manufacturing setting isn’t as simple as buying the robot and plugging it in. There are many different financial and logistical considerations to take into account before a robot can productively automate anything. While industrial robots may serve a wide variety of purposes, the challenges manufacturers face when implementing them are relatively similar.

If you're wondering how Industry 4.0 will impact your organisation and other manufacturers across the globe, you're not alone. This new operational shift is changing things faster than most people realise, and if some futurists and experts are right, Industry 4.0 will lead to a sort of brave new world in manufacturing, unlike anything we've ever seen before.