Redefining manufacturing landscape with Industry 4.0, by Dr Nishith Parikh

The recent pandemic Covid-19 has placed unique challenges on manufacturing companies. But with this challenge has come opportunity — the chance to reimagine work, transform operations and emerge from the slump with more agility, resiliency and ingenuity. In a recent EY survey, it was indicated that along with employee safety, 62% of companies are focused on reimaging of work while 55% would like to take this as an opportunity for transformation. As future resilience and agility become increasingly critical, the human-centered Factory of the Future (FoF) is needed by manufacturing now more than ever.

The 21st-century manufacturing facilities have ushered a new wave of manufacturing with an amalgamation of technologies from advanced information technology to fully integrated production systems. With Smart Manufacturing or Industry 4.0, manufacturers are moving towards a new level of interconnected and intelligent manufacturing system which incorporates the latest advances in sensors, robotics, big data, and controllers.

Robotics is transforming the efficiency of every organisational function from finance, tax, HR, and IT to supply chain, regulatory compliance and customer care. When robotic, intelligent, and autonomous systems are integrated, intelligent automation is widening the scope of potential tasks and processes that can be automated.

A BTech Mechanical programme with a specialisation in Smart Manufacturing & Robotics, and Automation at GSFC University has adopted a multi-faceted approach to education by giving equal importance to basic sciences & engineering courses, unit manufacturing processes, robotics, automation, assembly, and information systems technology. The students will be trained in advanced manufacturing processes, manufacturing systems, robotics and automation, systems engineering. An experiential learning approach will be followed, and the students will be gaining hands-on experience in many spheres of technology related to smart manufacturing. The students will also undergo internships every semester and be exposed to the present-day industry's real-world challenges. After graduation, students will have vast opportunities to work in Smart Manufacturing and Robotics & Automation.

About the author

Dr Nishith Parikh is the Associate Dean at the School of Technology at GSFC University

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha