Is carbon footprint reduction compatible with Industry 4.0?

The manufacturing industry is no stranger to change. Throughout the decades—from the industrial revolution all the way to Industry 4.0—factory floors have experienced the introduction of many revolutionary approaches to create the best products possible.

As global manufacturing techniques begin to transform to address the challenges of climate change, the industry will have to contend with a complete rejuvenation of the factory floor in favor of a cleaner future. However, traditional approaches to factory floor optimization will not suffice. Contemporary challenges will require modern solutions in the form of digitization to create digital factories.

According to this PwC survey, 90 percent of respondents agreed that digitization offers more opportunities than risks, but the firm warns that a “coherent and consistent strategy (for digitization) is absolutely critical,” requiring support from a network of strategy champions extending from top leadership to workers or team leaders on the factory floor.

But, what concessions to fossil fuels remain, and how will that transition play out in the years to come with the emergence of the digital factory? And how will the manufacturing industry actually realize a carbon-neutral future for the factory floor?

Invariably, this focus on efficiency carries over onto ensuring that factory floor operations result in much lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, keeping operations in harmony with the environment. Manufacturers that are on the front foot with reorganizing factory floor operations to be more sustainable can access the frontline of technological innovation when they adopt greener machinery, better waste management systems and a digital-first mindset.

Even as manufacturers look to accelerate their journey towards realizing the goal of digitizing their factory floor, fossil fuels still form important part of manufacturing as it is still being used as an effective source of power generation.

While the tide is turning toward cleaner sources, such as solar and wind energy, manufacturers need to integrate with initiatives such as the UN’s Global Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative progressively towards the milestone year of 2030. Until then, manufacturers need to find ways to minimize their GHG emissions while using fossil fuels as they transition towards these cleaner energy sources.
 

Over the next decade, organizations will strive to create cleaner measures on their factory floors through supportive initiatives and protocols. These include analyzing GHG emissions and then instituting changes to mitigate their effect, such as creating more lean manufacturing models, as well as working toward a circular approach to resources.

The solution for manufacturers helps them model their factory floor and makes it easy for them to optimize development processes and introduce changes without having to disrupt operations. It also enables manufacturers to combine product design technology with the creation of specialized tools, increasing energy efficiency in manufacturing, and, through the precision of these instruments, ensure waste reduction.

What’s particularly useful for global manufacturers is that the 3DEXPERIENCE platform’s cloud capabilities breaks down location constraints and helps businesses fulfil their ambition to digitize their factory floor and make it more sustainable wherever it is. Ready to learn more about the future of the factory floor and Industry 4.0? Get our exclusive ebook today.