“Industry 4.0” is a term that has taken the world by storm. Whether you work in retail, manufacturing, healthcare, etc. – the desire for connected products and data gathering is at an all-time high.

McKinsey states that about 127 new devices are connected to the internet every second with those devices having an economic impact of $11.1 trillion per year by 2025.

Your organization must have an Industry 4.0 plan in place to stay competitive. Whether that includes designing connected products to modifying manufacturing operations you must be ready for this change. The PTC ThingWorx Platform is the solution you need for all your Industry 4.0 goals.

Manufacturing and Design for Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 is the latest wave of the industrial revolution that incorporates new technologies like IoT, augmented reality (AR), additive manufacturing, robotics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI). Products across all industries are undergoing a digital transformation which is forcing a shift in fundamental product design techniques.

Internet of Things (IoT)

With new devices connecting to the internet at a rapid rate, it is no wonder that the Internet of Things (IoT) is a central component of Industry 4.0. It is influencing product design in unique ways as organizations try to capture and use a variety of data from their products. Designers need a platform that is designed with IoT in mind so they can understand what the possibilities are when determining how to connect and collect data.

Augmented Reality (AR)

As IoT continues to become mainstream – so does augmented reality (AR). It has even become an integral part of the Windows operating system and has been integrated into iOS. However, AR is more than just for gamers, it is revolutionizing product design and manufacturing processes. Organizations are utilizing AR to streamline approval processes by having teams view products as they would appear in the “real world”. Even further, AR can be used to provide interactive instruction manuals for repairing various manufacturing machines.

Digital Twins

Of course, AR wouldn’t exist without Digital Twins. Digital twins replicate real-time work environments to capture issues within current processes. By capturing these problems early, organizations can prevent the creation of scrap and rework. By utilizing digital twins organizations can:

  • Reduce production costs
  • Reduce unplanned downtime
  • Maximize throughput
  • Eliminate production bottlenecks

And that is just on the production side. These benefits ultimately help increase the number of on-time deliveries, resulting in happy customers and increased revenue.

The PTC ThingWorx Platform

Your existing CAD and CAE products may not fully support these latest technological advances. That’s why you need to find a solution that includes the essential tools required to support these innovations.

Why the ThingWorx Platform?

The ThingWorx platform is designed to enable and support developers and designers looking to create and deploy smart, connected solutions. ThingWorx has been designed to simplify the connection process for IoT devices.

The ThingWorx platform helps developers and designers create and deploy connected solutions.

ThingWorx offers easy extensibility so you can personalize the applications without impacting the code. This means that your company can enjoy the benefits of customized solutions without creating complicated programs that must be integrated into your traditional systems.

thingworx platform - industry 4.0 plan – ThingWorx

ThingWorx and Industry 4.0: Working Together

ThingWorx integrates into Wildfire 4 and 5 to create incredible AR images that support the “wow” factor in design, help improve collaboration, and accelerate the approval process. Using these 3D digital twins, organizations can take it one step further and use them to evaluate how potential customers will respond to designs.

On the manufacturing side, using the AR and digital twin capabilities, engineers can determine and create optimized production processes to help keep costs low. By using the digital twins to replicate the real-time manufacturing environment, the ThingWorx platform keeps processes on track.

Any process that is slightly anomalous will generate alerts for product interruptions and continuous connectivity monitoring helps ensure no critical data is lost. Using the ThingWorx platform helps organizations make informed decisions quickly using real-time data to optimize production and supply chain operations.

Enable Your Industry 4.0 Plan with ThingWorx

Staying competitive means creating smart connected products and implementing smart and connected operations. Without the right tools to upgrade your traditional methods, you could be left behind. The ThingWorx platform is the solution you need to connect your operations and design the revolutionary products of tomorrow.

Ready to get started with ThingWorx or have additional questions? Just contact us.