Autonomous Laboratory-Scale Smart Factory with Internet of Things Demonstrating Industry 4.0
Industry 4.0 is a broad framework that includes many partially overlapping concepts such as smart manufacturing, cloud computing, industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and smart factory. It relies on technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), and Cloud Computing to enhance and streamline industrial processes. This paper focuses on the programming of an IoT-based laboratory-scale, automated, and smart factory using SIEMENS programmable logic controllers (PLCs), along with human machine interfaces (HMIs). The integration of IoT technologies is to achieve three main tasks. Firstly, remote update of the storage, retrieval, and processing of products in the factory by implementing a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) based tracking system using Node-RED dashboard. Secondly, remote real-time monitoring of the factory by implementing a camera-based surveillance system. Finally, remote assessment of the temperature, humidity, pressure, and air quality of the factory by integrating an environmental sensor. A timed test was conducted to determine the time duration required for one workpiece (product) to complete the entire processing operation. The duration for the entire processing operation of the smart factory from retrieval to final storage is 1 minute and 37 seconds.