Intralogistics in Transition: Past, Present and Future

Morning clouds of fog move from the Carron River to the Carron Ironworks blast furnace. They mix with the clouds of steam and smoke that rise from the factory chimneys. In the blower house, a steam engine hisses and hisses. Her huge pistons pump up and down. With powerful energy, they drive a bubble, which emits a flow of air into the blast furnace. With the help of steam power, the fire in the blast furnace burns as hot as never before.

Carron Ironworks in the Scottish county of Stirlingshire was one of the most modern ironworks in the world at the end of the 18th century. With the use of the steam engine, the plant, founded in 1759, had ushered in a new era: It was now able to produce around the clock, regardless of weather conditions. Thanks to the high temperatures in the blast furnace, which could now be achieved, it was possible to produce high-quality cast iron and later steel. The steam engine — particularly in the powerful design patented by Scotsman James Watt in 1769 — was one of the central inventions of the industrial revolution. It enabled the use of machines in factories and relieved the dependence on human or animal muscle power. This dramatically increased production capacity, initially in Great Britain and soon after in many parts of the world. This epochal economic boom was also driven by other groundbreaking technologies: in particular the railroad, the mechanical loom, the expansion of coal mining and the improvement of hydroelectric plants. Together, they took production and transport processes to a whole new level. The onset of industrialization — Industry 1.0 — had far-reaching consequences: Overall, technological progress picked up steam. The availability, quality and variety of goods increased significantly. The economy and prosperity grew. Jobs were created. The quality of life improved in many places. However, industrialization also had negative effects. This includes the poor, often dangerous and health-damaging working conditions for people in factories. Environmental and climate damage due to air pollution, water pollution, deforestation and CO2 emissions began back then.

Industry 1.0

1800 - Energy from steam: The steam engine enabled machines to operate continuously and increased productivity. For example, it powered automatic looms. Working conditions became increasingly acceptable over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, not only due to pressure from trade unions and legislators. Some entrepreneurs introduced improvements of their own accord, also with the idea of increasing the motivation of their employees and the productivity of their plant. Technological progress was a powerful engine of change. The use of electrical energy brought manufacturing to the next level at the end of the 19th century: Industry 2.0 began.

It was now possible to operate machines consistently and reliably — the basis for efficient processes with as little downtime as possible. American car manufacturer Henry Ford made full use of this potential when he introduced the first assembly line system at Ford Motor Company in Michigan in 1913. He thus laid the basis for modern mass production. Ford's Model T, also known as “TinLizzie,” was manufactured on this assembly line. It was one of the first affordable cars to be produced in large quantities. This move not only revolutionized the automotive industry, many other industries adopted Ford's manufacturing methods. Not only was the assembly line alone groundbreaking, but also the associated production logistics: Each worker was responsible for a specific task instead of assembling the entire car himself. The assembly line moved at a specific pace. This forced workers to work efficiently and led to an increase in productivity.

In the context of mass production and the beginning of automation in Industry 2.0, intralogistics became more important. Technologies and systems were developed that were specifically designed to efficiently organize the movement and storage of goods, materials and information within locations. Historical milestones included the introduction of elevators and modern conveyor systems (around 1900), forklifts (1917), freight containers (1956) and automatic high-bay warehouses and goods distribution systems (1960). Intralogistics technologies are still helping to increase efficiency, precision and safety within factories and warehouses. Your progress plays a critical role in increasing output, reducing operating costs, and optimizing the entire supply chain.

Industry 2.0

1900 - In line with the assembly line: The assembly line created the basis for modern mass production. Goods could now be produced in large quantities and at lower costs. In the 1950s and 1960s, early digital technologies found their way into production processes — this was the start of Industry 3.0. With General Motors, an American company in the automotive industry was once again a pioneer. <br>It used computer-controlled machine tools, for example for very precise milling and turning of materials. The IT group IBM brought large computers onto the market, which were used in many companies and factories for control and automation. Founded in 1956, Japanese machine manufacturer Fanuc was one of the first companies to develop industrial robots and integrate them into production.

In Industry 3.0, however, automation was primarily carried out in individual machines and processes. These systems were often isolated from each other and could only communicate with each other to a limited extent. While there were some forms of data transfer, the integration of systems was limited.

Industry 3.0

1970 - Computer controlled: The introduction of large computers took automation to the next level. Initially, they were used to control individual machine tools. The next leap to the current phase of Industry 4.0 took place in the early 2010s. In the meantime, computer chips have become significantly more powerful. They make it possible to process huge amounts of data and communicate between technical systems in real time. With the Internet, digitally connected systems have found their way into all areas of life. A plethora of new applications have been created, which are used worldwide in an industrial context. These include: robotics and automation, the Internet of Things, big data and analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, digital twins, cyberphysical systems, cloud computing, 3D printing, blockchain, augmented reality and virtual reality.

In manufacturing and intralogistics, such technologies are stacked to form intelligent systems: The Smart Factory and Smart Warehouse were born, such as those operated by technology leaders such as Siemens, Bosch, Toyota, Amazon and Zalando. The characteristics of an ideal smart factory: Systems are equipped with sensors and communication technologies to collect data and send it to other devices. The data is analyzed and processed in real time. Intelligent algorithms recognize patterns and trends in ongoing processes, which are used to optimize processes. Mobile robots and other autonomous transport vehicles are playing a decisive role in more and more intralogistic processes — such as material transport, assembly, quality control, packaging or waste disposal.

Industry 4.0 ‍

2010 - Automated Smart Factory: The technologies in production and intralogistics are linked to form intelligent systems. Many processes now run completely autonomously. With Industry 5.0, the next phase is now on the horizon, but there is still no uniform, generally accepted definition. It is based on the same technologies as Industry 4.0, but there are differences in its application and in corporate ethics: There is greater focus on the harmonious coexistence of people, the environment and technology. People, with their skills and needs, will play a major role in the working world of the future. Instead of a factory in which the machines operate as autonomously as possible, human-machine collaboration is promoted.

This also offers the opportunity for greater flexibility, for example to meet individual customer requirements. Production and intralogistics are geared towards the sustainable use of resources such as energy, water and raw materials. Industry 5.0 therefore not only aims to automate and optimize processes, but also takes environmental aspects, social responsibility and the human dimension into account.

Industry 5.0‍

2020 - Harmonious collaboration: The intralogistics of the future focuses on the productive cooperation of man and machine, making processes more flexible, customer-focused and sustainable.