The profile of the Polish foundry engineer in the Industry 4.0 age is presented in the present paper. The presented results were obtained by means of three research methods consisting of: analyses of professional expertise documents, questionnaires filled-up by the executive staff of foundry enterprises and analyses of work offers for the foundry engineer position. The investigations indicated the key competences of the foundry engineer, demanded currently by employers and meeting the requirements of the Polish foundry sector. The obtained results were discussed in relation to the fourth industrial revolution and its requirements with regard to the engineering staff. This concept is based on information technology and robotizing, which means the total automation of industrial production processes as well as the widespread access to data and machines. Such an approach requires changes in applied machines, technologies and employees’ competencies. The competences of employees constitute the element deciding on the company success, aimed at obtaining a competitive advantage. Therefore adjusting the employees’ competencies to continuously changing reality is so essential.
The article refers to the idea of using the software defined network (SDN) as an effective hardware and software platform enabling the creation and dynamic management of distributed ICT infrastructure supporting the rapid prototyping process. The authors proposed a new layered reference model remote distributed rapid prototyping that allows the development of heterogeneous, open systems of rapid prototyping in a distributed environment. Next, the implementation of this model was presented in which the functioning of the bottom layers of the model is based on the SDN architecture. Laboratory tests were carried out for this implementation which allowed to verify the proposed model in the real environment, as well as determine its potential and possibilities for further development. Thus, the approach described in the paper may contribute to the development and improvement of the efficiency of rapid prototyping processes which individual components are located in remote industrial, research and development units. Thanks to this, it will be possible to better integrate production processes as well as optimize the costs associated with prototyping. The proposed solution is also a response in this regard to the needs of industry 4.0 in the area of creating scalable, controllable and reliable platforms.
The industry transformation to the digital model 4.0 will be a significant change from
the perspective of the organisation and processes. In the context of the above, the research
was undertaken, the principal aim of which constituted the attempt to answer the question
concerning the technological advancement level of manufacturing companies operating in
the agricultural machinery sector. It is about identifying what adaptation projects in the
context of the fourth generation industry era should be undertaken by the Polish manufacturers operating in the agricultural machinery sector. The achievement of the main
objective required formulation and implementation of partial objectives, which, according
to the authors, include: C(1) – defining the Industry 4.0 axiom merit; C(2) – using the
subject literature reconstruction and interpretation methods – nomination of areas, on the
one hand essential from the perspective of the model 4.0, and on the other hand those that
may demonstrate the maturity in the domain of the adopted desiderata; C(3) – compilation
of the research model, in the form of an assessment sheet, being a resultant of literature
studies and research conducted among deliberately selected domain experts; C(4) – based
on the selected indicators, the technological advancement level recognition of the studied
companies; specification of a technological gap (questioning among experts).
The realization of digitalization in production companies – currently also referred to as Industry
4.0 – aims for reduction of internal value creation costs as well as costs for intercompany
collaboration and plays a key role in their current strategy development. However, related
strategy research still lacks to provide operationalized digitalization methods and tools to
practitioners with scientific rigor as well as real-world relevance. To challenge this status
quo, we present a scientifically grounded 14-step procedure model including 11 practically
tested tools, developed specifically for real-world application. The model leads practitioners
from their first contact with industrial digitalization, through the maturity assessment of
143 digitalization items, until the implementation of a KPI-monitoring system and a continuous
improvement process. We applied and re-worked the procedure model during three
years of application. Validation and Feedback from practitioners and scholars indicate, that
the model drives strategy development towards objective and data-based decision making
and increases stakeholder engagement in organizations considerably.
The main aim of the article is to develop a simulation model of flexible manufacturing
system with applying the ontology on flexibility. Designing manufacturing systems matching
both production and market requirements becomes more and more challenging due to the
variability of demand for a large number of products made in many variants and short
lead times. Manufacturing flexibility is widely recognised as a proven solution to achieve
and maintain both the strategical and operational goals of the companies exposed to global
competition. Generic simulation model of flexible manufacturing system was developed using
FlexSimr 3D software, then the example data were used to demonstrate the developed model
applicability. “The Ontology on Flexibility” was applied for evaluation of achieved flexibility
of manufacturing system.
The spread of digital technologies dramatically changes production processes. The fourth
industrial revolution opens up new opportunities for the introduction of technologies, having
a significant impact on the production cycle, starting with highly automated production lines
and ending with the large-scale implementation of technological solutions designed to improve
productivity, optimize costs, quality and reliability. Defining digital transformations,
primarily in the manufacturing industry, as a strategic imperative for the entire economy
based on opinions and intentions of entrepreneurs (short and medium-term), key aspects of
the digitalization process in Russian medium, high-tech and low-tech manufacturing industries
are revealed. A set of tendencies in the development of digital technologies by their main
types is presented, the level of industry participation in digital transformation is shown, as
well as many other important digital transformation processes in enterprises that are not
measured by quantitative statistics.
Rescheduling is a frequently used reactive strategy in order to limit the effects of disruptions
on throughput times in multi-stage production processes. However, organizational deficits
often cause delays in the information on disruptions, so rescheduling cannot limit disruption
effects on throughput times optimally. Our approach strives for an investigation of
possible performance improvements in multi-stage production processes enabled by realtime
rescheduling in the event of disruptions. We developed a methodology whereby we
could measure these possible performance improvements. For this purpose, we created and
implemented a simulation model of a multi-stage production process. We defined system
parameters and varied factors according to our experiment design, such as information delay,
lot sizes and disruption durations. The simulation results were plotted and evaluated
using DoE methodology. Dependent on the factor settings, we were able to prove large improvements
by real-time rescheduling regarding the absorption of disruption effects in our
experiments.
The article presents tools, methods and systems used in mechanical engineering that in
combination with information technologies create the grounds of Industry 4.0. The authors
emphasize that mechanical engineering has always been the foundation of industrial activity,
while information technology, the essential part of Industry 4.0, is its main source of innovation.
The article discusses issues concerning product design, machining tools, machine tools
and measurement systems.
Today, the changes in market requirements and the technological advancements are influencing
the product development process. Customers demand a product of high quality and fast
delivery at a low price, while simultaneously expecting that the product meet their individual
needs and requirements. For companies characterized by a highly customized production, it
is essential to reduce the trial-and-errors cycles to design new products and process. In such
situation most of the company’s knowledge relies on the lessons learnt by operators in years
of work experience, and their ability to reuse this knowledge to face new problems. In order
to develop unique product and complex processes in short time, it is mandatory to reuse
the acquired information in the most efficient way. Several commercial software applications
are already available for product lifecycle management (PLM) and manufacturing execution
system (MES). However, these two applications are scarcely integrated, thus preventing an
efficient and pervasive collection of data and the consequent creation of useful information.
The aim of this paper is to develop a framework able to structure and relate information
from design and execution of processes, especially the ones related to anomalies and critical
situations occurring at the shop floor, in order to reduce the time for finalizing a new product.
The framework has been developed by exploiting open source systems, such as ARAS
PLM and PostgreSQL. A case study has been developed for a car prototyping company to
illustrate the potentiality of the proposed solution.
The article focuses on selected problems which have now appeared and fall under the ideas “industry 4.0” and “society 5.0”, namely on anthropological issues. Changes in the relationships between man and technology based on trust lead to an increase of the role of the technological factor in these relations. Other aspects of the analyzed changes concern the new requirements of the responsibility and changes of human subjectivity and rationality. The future of man appears to be an area of uncertainty related to inter alia the conditions of functioning and living in the order of the post-digital world.
This paper points out assumptions and reasons for using digital technologies, the importance of using digital technologies in teaching and management. It also refers to the digital technologies and digital competences as an essential part of the competency model of a teaching staff in education. It also points out the fact that existing competency models need to be further explored, decomposed, and formulated as an illustration by the digital competences extensions.