Computers have been used to automate manufacturing processes and tasks for many years. Until the 2010s, product assembly was centralized. Over the course of this decade, however, companies have been nudging organization-wide systems toward decentralization. In a company with decentralized assembly, the organization’s machines are programmed to learn tasks and then teach one another the most efficient means of completing a task. The computers used on the production line are functioning far beyond their early 21st century cousins.
These machines are learning the tasks, making appropriate adjustments and then teaching the most efficient process to other machines. This innovative component set the evolution of manufacturing from Industry 3.0 to 4.0. Industry 4.0, therefore, distinguishes itself from previous industrial revolutions through the introduction, and full implementation, of robots. As York Exponential states in their mission, collaborative robotics will “augment America.” Industry 4.0 will change the assembly line and job landscape forever.