Why you could be leading the next revolution
Widespread access to digital technology changed many things. The integrated circuit epitomizes the information age, also known as the third industrial revolution. It also helped turn the internet into the World Wide Web, marking the democratization of technology. That pivotal moment saw a change in direction, as consumers became both the creators and consumers of information.
Spurred by economies of scale, innovation flourished. Information was everywhere. All we had to do was scoop it up and put it to use. Every market within the industrial sector sits on a rich seam of data. Every process in those markets was ready for modernization and optimization. We gave this changing landscape its own name: Industry 4.0.
Not every OEM has completed its digital transformation. But don’t worry if you’re one of them because, today, we are at the dawn of the fifth industrial revolution. And that’s a good thing.
Source: Statista, *denotes forecast
Sustainability is essential
Industry 4.0 could be criticized for removing the human from the loop, but the fifth industrial revolution puts people in lockstep with technology. The overarching objective of Industry 5.0 is to use technology to leverage and amplify human capabilities. The addendum to that is manufacturing sustainably, while building more resilient supply chains.
If we consider the definition of sustainable, it’s apparent that efficiency demands sustainability. If a process can’t be sustained, it can’t be optimized. But there are challenges ahead.
The term “reinventing the wheel” is levelled at anything that flaunts consistency. Modern manufacturing was built on repeatability. As we move forward, we expect consumers to demand more personalization. Accommodating variation on a large scale dictates a more responsive and sustainable approach to manufacturing on demand.
Subtractive manufacturing remains the dominant technology and modern tools make it highly efficient in large volumes. We have made machines that can shape metal, wood and composites into anything we want by removing surplus material. In most cases, that surplus material can be reused or repurposed, but that takes additional resources.
Conversely, additive manufacturing maximizes the raw material, using only what it needs. Lower waste material suggests it is a more sustainable method. Comparatively, additive manufacturing is in its infancy. When measured by finished units per hour/shift, additive manufacturing is probably a less efficient technique. But in terms of flexibility and adaptability to customization, additive is arguably the one to beat. Adding AI will only improve that process by finding the optimal design that uses the least amount of raw material.
Bringing AI closer to the shop floor will allow traditional subtractive machine tools to be reconfigured faster, adapt to changes quicker and use raw materials more efficiently. Already, advanced computer numerical control (CNC) machines use AI to calculate the most effective and efficient way to reduce a blank to a finished item. Industry 5.0 will make subtractive manufacturing in small batches more efficient.
Resilience in the supply chain
Disruptive events will always threaten to derail the most efficient process. This, too, would impact sustainability. Building systems that are more resilient to these events, however they manifest and materialize in your supply chain, will also be key to Industry 5.0.
Avnet is already putting AI into its supply chain services. Like other tools, AI can automate the repetitive. Once taught, the output of an AI action is almost immediately optimized. And while the trained model may change, the underlying structure of AI is reusable in a repeatable way.
This puts AI at the forefront of Industry 5.0 because it can adapt without reconfiguration. Any process that adapts without a drop in productivity is inherently resilient. Processes that are underpinned by AI will bring that resilience.
We can draw parallels in the way mesh networks operate. If one node goes down, the network reconfigures itself to redefine the pathway from one point to another. And 5G networks adapt, using AI to maintain high availability in response to varying demand.
Technologies enabling Industry 5.0
AI is the key differentiator that will enable Industry 5.0. But AI comes in many forms. Already, the topic is obfuscated by open terminology, different value propositions, and variation in its implementation methods.
The most popular form of AI is generative AI based on large language models (LLMs). The benefits of running generative AI in the cloud is now somewhat overshadowed by the resources it uses.
In the embedded sector, edge processing is gaining traction. Edge processing reduces the dependency on cloud services, but moving away from the center comes with resource limitations. Running generative AI at the edge will be a critical development for Industry 5.0, but it requires innovative problem-solving to port LLMs to small embedded systems.
One solution is to reduce the model to so-called small language models or SLMs. These models have fewer parameters, so they take fewer compute resources. Combining SLMs with other forms of AI on the same device (or at least in the same application) introduces a new paradigm.
For example, an SLM may be trained to understand the operating modes of a specific piece of equipment and work collaboratively with a different type of AI (such as sensors with embedded machine learning) to provide a service or function. The configuration of the production line may need to change to accommodate customization, but the underlying architecture is flexible enough to handle it. In an industrial setting, this may be manufacturing a product to one of many variations. You can have any color you want, as long as it’s black, white, or a mixture of red, green and blue.
We’re in a long-term relationship
Change must be managed and there are many good reasons why some OEMs may be deferring their digital transformation. Waiting until the next technology comes along is a human trait and one we can all relate to right now, given the accelerated pace of change in AI.
Manufacturers that have fully embraced Industry 4.0 will not be left behind as we move to the next version. They are already on a technology roadmap that will easily accommodate the shift to 5.0, which for them will be more subtle than those still in the information age.
But moving directly to Industry 5.0 is well within reach of any manufacturer still evaluating its options. Avnet develops long-term relationships with its customers to solve exactly these kinds of transitional challenges.
See how Avnet’s Supply Chain Services could help you meet tomorrow’s challenges