The author, entrusted by the China Hydraulic Pneumatic Seals Industry Association, attended the Hannover 2013 Industrial Fair in Germany. A central theme of the fair was the "Fourth Industrial Revolution," a concept that has been gaining traction in the manufacturing sector. In Germany, manufacturing contributes 26% to the national economy in terms of added value. To drive this transformation, a 112-page implementation proposal was submitted by a research group to the German federal government on October 2, 2012. The initiative, led by the Ministry of Education, Research, and Economy, as well as the Ministry of the Interior, received an initial funding of 200 million euros (approximately 1.6 billion yuan).
This revolution is organized and collaborative. For the first time, the German Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers Association, the Central Association for the Electronics Industry, and the New Media Association for Information and Communications established a joint working platform in April 2013. Their goal was to coordinate ongoing and new research projects.
Germany’s industrial evolution can be divided into three major phases:
First, mechanization. Beginning in the late 18th century, steam engines replaced manual labor. Machines were powered by centralized energy sources, transmitted through belts from overhead shafts. While there had been division of labor before, it wasn’t until the adoption of new power sources that manufacturing began to resemble modern systems. The UK pioneered machine tool manufacturing, but “Made in Germany†became a warning sign for low-quality imitations.
Second, the assembly line. In 1913, Ford introduced mass production with the assembly line, significantly reducing costs. The price of a car dropped from $850 to $370, but at the cost of personalization. Electricity gradually replaced mechanical systems, making them easier to control.
Third, automation. Starting in 1974, a small German company developed the PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), replacing relay-based controls. This marked the beginning of microprocessor-based industrial control. During the Cold War, few recognized its potential, yet it transformed the industry. Today, advanced programming languages like C are used for complex control strategies such as PID, adaptive, and self-learning algorithms. The automotive industry, especially in Japan, adopted automation to capture global markets. However, German manufacturers maintained their edge by using flexible PLCs that allowed for quick program updates.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution aims to make factories intelligent. It focuses on integrating network technology into manufacturing. The future challenges include resource scarcity, energy transitions, aging workforce, and globalization. Key technologies include high-speed networks, up to 7,000 Mbit/s, enabling seamless communication.
Features of the revolution include flexibility, high resource efficiency, ergonomic design, and close integration between businesses and customers. The changes will affect several areas:
1) Integration of production and information technology: The digital factory emphasizes digitized planning and computer-aided tools like CAD, CAM, CIM, and PLM. The new model promotes decentralized control, allowing machines to communicate autonomously over networks. This increases efficiency by up to 30%, with CPS (Cyber-Physical Systems) playing a central role. CPS connects physical devices with computer networks, enabling human-machine fusion.
2) Individualized production: Flexible factories cater to customer demands, producing customized products at mass production costs. Customers engage throughout the process, even changing orders mid-production.
3) Humanization of work: Smart factories allow flexible hours and remote work, improving employee satisfaction and reducing energy consumption. Equipment, parts, and robots are equipped with CPS, enabling direct communication without central control.
Examples like the Rexroth pump factory demonstrate how flexibility is essential, handling thousands of product variations efficiently.
At the Hannover Messe 2013, the Fourth Industrial Revolution was widely discussed. Comments highlighted Germany’s strong foundation in machinery, automation, and IT. The transition would be gradual, not sudden, and would involve economic, legal, and union considerations. Continuous improvement and innovation were emphasized, with the ultimate beneficiaries being employees and business partners.
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