THE ide VISITS VKS - CREATING THE SMART FACTORY OF THE FUTURE

On November 21, 2016, CMP Advanced Mechanical Solutions and Visual Knowledge Software Ltd (VKS) welcomed in their facilities a group of leaders from different organizations from the Montreal area. These businesses were invited by ide, a professional network dedicated to equip leaders with innovative ideas in diverse industries such as manufacturing, institutional and service. CMP & VKS presented the many advantages of becoming a smart factory.

A brief history of manufacturing

We hear a lot about “industry 4.0”. What does that actually mean? Let’s go back in time with the First Industrial Revolution that took place from 1760 to 1870. The rise of the steam engines and the electrical telegraph marked that period during 110 years. The Second Industrial Revolution, from 1870 to 1969, was all about electricity and mass production through the use of the assembly line. It lasted 99 years. The Third Industrial Revolution, starting in 1970 and finishing in 2010, made room for robotics, automation and computing, this took place in less than half a century. As you can see, things are going faster than ever.

We are now witnessing the Fourth Industrial Revolution, better known as Industry 4.0, which started in 2010 and is still in force today. We are in the industrial era of data management and analysis, advanced manufacturing processes, cyber-physical systems, autonomous robotics and machinery, cloud computing and so on. The main goal of this highly connected processes is to collect data in real time, which allows companies to better navigate in their environment and to stream decisions based on real time activity.