This thesis focuses on the implementation of Industry 4.0 in medical technical industry (med tech). The aim of the thesis is to get a sufficient evaluation on the Industry 4.0 implementation in a German medical technology enterprise, and also to find suggestions for improving the implementation. Two main research questions are studied in this thesis: “What is the maturity level of Industry 4.0 in a German med tech enterprise with comparison to automotive enterprises?” and “How to overcome barriers and improve the Industry 4.0 level in the med tech enterprise?” The thesis uses qualitative analysis with case study as the main research method. Automotive industry is used as reference and supporting the comparative case study. A historical review and a survey with open and closed questions are used for the data collection and analysis. Compared with automotive enterprises, the med tech enterprise is limited in the aspect of smart factory/production with Industry 4.0 implementation by various special regulations, but nevertheless there is much space and potential to develop Industry 4.0 in other aspects like smart business, smart product, and smart customers, as well as some new business modes.

This diploma thesis is focused on the analysis of the most well-known industrial protocols and acquaintance with the Dobot Magician robotic arm. The main goal of this thesis is to create an industrial loop, which consists of communication – client and server. The individual components of the industrial loop consist of three robotic arms (including peripherals), their control units (in our case Raspberry PI 3B +), switch, and a server. The control units communicate with the server using two selected industrial protocols, namely Modbus TCP and EtherNET/IP. The result of the work is an endless loop, which tries to resemble the real operation of the assembly and disassembly of the box equipped with dierent items.

Global megatrends and the resulting challenges for manufacturing companies, have brought up the concept of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and its heart the Smart Factory (SF). Through I4.0 and the application of SF companies can increase their creation of value, however the degree of value depends on the way of implementation. Scholars and studies of successful SF implementation are still in an infant stage, and companies find little guidance in literature. Therefore, research question one targets on how to implement the SF and research question two on the investigation of success factors, challenges and outcomes of the successful SF implementation. The literature review included 216 scholars in the field of SF implementation. On this basis, a theoretical proposition was developed, to guide data collection and analysis. For development of the practical framework, multiple case studies have been chosen. Through an orientation study, seven cases in a multinational manufacturing company have been selected for the research. The developed framework has been validated again with the experts in the company. The developed implementation framework consists out of two parts. A strategic implementation process, including a SF maturity model to support the gradual advancement towards the SF and an operational implementation process for SF technologies, to advance to the higher maturity level. The framework represents a step-by-step approach including key activities, success factors and challenges of each phase. To justify an implementation, different outcomes have been clustered and organized to provide an overview. As this work is based on the current advancement of the research field, it first provides a condensed summary of SF implementation and second, through answering RQ1 and RQ2 closes research gaps. Hence, it contributes to the further advancement of the research field by providing a clear framework on the implementation approach and key factors, as well as a starting point for further research. With the SF implementation framework, this work provides the missing connection between a directed strategic approach and new technology implementation with a step-by-step guideline to facilitate the implementation of SF. The framework represents a guideline, to be used by managers, including the most important aspects to consider.

Along with the evolution of the new technologies such as industrial internet of things (IIoT), big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), etc., the amalgamation between the cyber and physical worlds in the industrial field has become necessary to realize and achieve the smart factory and increase its productivity. The emergence of the Digital Twin (DT) concept as a technology that ties the physical and digital worlds has gained significant attention around the world during the last years. However, this concept is relatively new; the literature related to this concept is limited, and its application is still under development and requires further participation from both the industry and academia. This thesis project presented the main requirements and the steps for building a DT. Three research questions have been formulated and answered separately to fulfill the objective of this research study. The answer to the first two research questions was mainly based on surveying the scientific literature to explore this concept's background, main infrastructure, related technologies, its applications in the manufacturing domain, open issues, and some opportunities and challenges that hinder its implementation. Further, the answer to the last research question is represented in proposing a general methodology with some detailed steps for DT's building process and validating this methodology with an existing case study to show it works in practice. Further, several aspects needed for future work have also been addressed.

To meet the demand of future building requirements, and to improve productivity and competitiveness, there is a need to modernize and revise the current practices in the wooden single-family house industry. In several other sectors, intensive work is being done to adapt to the anticipated fourth industrial revolution. The manufacturing industry has already begun its transformation with concepts such as smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0. So far, smart manufacturing has not been discussed to any significant extent for the wooden single-family house industry, even though it might be a way for this industry to improve productivity and competitiveness. The research presented in this thesis aims at increased knowledge about what smart manufacturing means for the wooden single-family house industry. This requires investigating what smart wooden house manufacturingis, what challenges that might be associated with it, and how smart wooden house manufacturing can be realized. At the core of this thesis is the conceptualization of smart wooden house manufacturing—when realized, it is expected to contribute to improve the competitiveness of the wooden single family house industry. The findings presented here are based on three Research Studies. Two studies were case studies within the wooden single-family house industry. The third study was a traditional literature review. The findings revealed two definitions and 26 components of smart wooden house manufacturing. At large, smart wooden house manufacturing emphasizes digital transformation with a focus on digital information flow, how to add information, information compilation, and information distribution between systems/programs and departments. Some of the challenges associated with smart wooden house manufacturing are, e.g. culture, competence and manual transfer of information between systems. The findings indicate similarities of smart wooden house manufacturing within certain components of industrialized house building and Industry 4.0, these components could enable the realization of smart wooden house manufacturing. / För att möta efterfrågan på framtida byggkrav och för att förbättra produktiviteten och konkurrenskraften finns det ett behov av att modernisera och revidera nuvarande tillvägagångssätt inom träsmåhusindustrin. I flera andra sektorer arbetas det intensivt med att anpassa sig till den förväntade fjärde industriella revolutionen. Tillverkningsindustrin har redan påbörjat sin omvandling med koncept som smart manufacturing och Industry 4.0. Hittills har smart manufacturing inte diskuterats i någon större utsträckning för träsmåhusindustrin, även om det kan vara ett sätt för denna industri att förbättra produktiviteten och konkurrenskraften. Forskningen som presenteras i denna avhandling syftar till ökad kunskap om vad smart manufacturing innebär för träsmåhusindustrin. Detta kräver undersökning av vad smart trähustillverkning är, vilka utmaningar som kan vara förknippade med det och hur smart trähustillverkning kan realiseras. Kärnan i denna uppsats är begreppsframställningen av smart trähustillverkning—när det realiserats förväntas det bidra till att förbättra konkurrenskraften för träsmåhusindustrin. Resultaten som presenteras här är baserat på tre forskningsstudier. Två studier var fallstudier inom träsmåhusindustrin. Den tredje studien var en traditionell litteraturstudie. Resultaten avslöjade två definitioner och 26 komponenter av smart träshustillverkning. Sammanfattningsvis betonar smart trähustillverkning digital transformation med fokus på digitalt informationsflöde, hur man lägger till information, sammanställning av information och informationsfördelning mellan system / program och avdelningar. Några av utmaningarna associerade med smart trähustillverkning är t.ex. kultur, kompetens och manuell överföring av information mellan system. Resultaten indikerar likheter mellan smart träshustillverkning inom vissa komponenter av industriellt husbyggande och Industry 4.0, dessa komponenter skulle kunna möjliggöra realiseringen av smart trähustillverkning.

Industrie 4.0 und aktuelle Entwicklungen in dem Bereich der produzierenden Unternehmen erfordern hohe Anpassungsleistungen von Menschen und von Maschinen gleichermaßen. In Smart Factories werden Produktionsmitarbeiter zu Wissensarbeitern. Dazu bedarf es neben neuen, intelligenten, technischen Lösungen auch neuer Ansätze für Arbeitsorganisation, Trainings- und Qualifizierungskonzepte, die mit adaptierbaren technischen Systemen flexibel zusammenarbeiten. Das durch die EU geförderte Projekt Factory2Fit entwickelt Lösungen für die Mensch-Technik-Interaktion in automatisierten Produktionssystemen, welche eine hohe Anpassungsfähigkeit an die Fähigkeiten, Kompetenzen und Präferenzen der individuellen Mitarbeiter bieten und damit gleichzeitig den Herausforderungen einer höchst kundenindividuellen Produktion gewachsen sind. Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden die grundlegenden Ziele und Ideen des Projektes vorgestellt sowie die Ansätze des Quantified-self im Arbeitskontext, die adaptive Automatisierung inklusive der verschiedenen Level der Automation sowie die spezifische Anwendung des partizipatorischen Designs näher beleuchtet. In den nächsten Arbeitsschritten innerhalb des Projektes gilt es nun, diese Konzepte um- und einzusetzen sowie zu validieren. Die interdisziplinäre Arbeitsweise sowie der enge Kontakt zwischen Wissenschafts-, Entwicklungs- und Anwendungspartnern sollten dazu beitragen, den Herausforderungen bei der Realisierung erfolgreich zu begegnen und zukunftsträchtige Smart Factory-Lösungen zu implementieren. Das Projekt Factory2Fit wird im Rahmen von Horizon 2020, dem EU Rahmenprogramm für Forschung und Innovation (H2020/2014-2020), mit dem Förderkennzeichen 723277 gefördert.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the opportunities that Industry 4.0 brings within the framework of applying Cyber Physical Systems in an environment of a Smart Factory. This paper shall identify the changes within daily business processes and the impact of these changes on the daily business life. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research is carried out as a case study research. Due to a qualitative approach for this case study interviews are conducted and the results are analyzed and discussed. Findings: Industry 4.0 will change the way we are working today and influence businesses and business processes in many ways. Data handling, processes and efficiency will change and the way we perceive manufacturing will change in a long term view. Further Research: It would be recommended to expand this research by conducting more research in this particular field as well as impacts on the employee should be studied more in detail.

Process automation for discrete manufacturing excellence (PADME)

The thesis reviews the current situation related to the Industry 4.0 and puts it into context. In the first part of the thesis, there is an introduction to the current economic situation and the major challenges. The concept and vision of Industry 4.0 is introduced together with the world's leading initiatives and examples of Industry 4.0 technologies in manufacturing processes presented by tech leaders. The thesis also includes examples of readiness models and simulated calculation ROCE. The finding of the thesis is that, although the very concept of Industry 4.0 is not well known, digitization and automation of production continues and both are considered a necessity. Interviews with experts from the business practice in the Czech Republic introduces key opportunities and challenges arising from new technologies and when they might become the new standard.

Internet, automation, digitalisering och liknande tillverkningsteknologier som associeras med Industri 4.0, eller den fjärde industriella revolutionen, håller på att förändra sättet som tillverkningsindustrier styr hela sin produktionskedja. De nya teknikerna som inkapslas av Industri 4.0-paradigmet har genererat nya smarta sätt för att effektivisera produktionen och samtidigt spara in på resurser. Men denna revolution har genererat utmaningar, liksom förmåner, inte minst för de individer som jobbar inom den industriella sektorn. I denna studie undersöks hur operatörer inom tillverkningsindustrin upplever och anpassar sig till denna typ av nya teknologi på sina arbetsplatser. Vad för typ av utmaningar och möjligheter har upplevts av de människor som står i direkt kontakt med dessa nya typer av innovationer. För att besvara denna fråga, genomfördes intervjuer med operatörer på två fabriker inom tillverkningsindustrin där ny teknologi införts och påverkat produktionskedjan. Totalt åtta operatörer, varav fem från Fabrik A och tre från Fabrik B, intervjuades genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Detta i syfte att generera insikt i upplevelsen av automation, internettjänster och övriga digitala hjälpmedel i arbetsuppgifter som tidigare utförts utan det. Genom metoden för grundad teori kodades och tolkades den insamlade intervjudatan och kategorier kunde bildas. Resultaten visade att det fanns ett stort behov av tydligt kommunicerad information gällande ny teknik och nya arbetssätt. Resultaten indikerar att det finns mycket utvecklingspotential när det kommer till hur operatörer underrättas om nya innovationer i deras arbete. Vidare drogs slutsatsen att det krävs en gemensam förståelse för nya systemuppdateringar och förändringar, för att dessa ska mottas och hanteras på ett bra sätt. Ur analysen framställdes en modell över de utmaningar och möjligheter som industriföretag står inför vid implementation av smarta system i sin produktion, ur de anställdas perspektiv.