THE MAGAZINE TILES & BRICKS INTERNATIONAL GO DEEPER ON THE MEANING OF “INDUSTRY 4.0” WITH AN INTERVIEW TO FRANCO STEFANI.

We have tried to understand more who has already carried out the Industry 4.0, contributing to its settings. There is no doubt, that the innovation of System Group is aiming at it and, in many cases such as the production of large slabs, is already fully in the criteria provides by the Industry 4.0 program. Who better than Franco Stefani, thus, to try to clear out ideas?

People are frequently speaking of Industry 4.0, but it seems that there is still much confusion on the matter. Do you agree?

“This terminology is widely used, despite the fact that it does not say much and does not contribute to the clarification of the concept. If I had to translate it in easier words, I would say industrial manufactures who receive orders, processes them and transmitted them to operative machineries. It is least suggestive, but clearer. And it is, in fact, what happens today in interconnected plants. An order arrives, terminals are already pre-set, ready to receive data, connect, align the request to the production process, and process the order. The order, than, continues its path in the factory, always through the exchange of data between machineries, capable of understanding what they have to do, auto-correct and auto analyze. Actually, we are speaking of the automation of factory processes at its extremes”.

It does not seem something everyone could achieve, yet it is often considered as an opportunity for all.
“Frequently speaking about it does not mean that a company can easily obtain this title and these new features. All the instrument must be able to dialogue one other, with an operative system connected to the machines, that receive and send data from only one operative unit, controlling the process from the beginning to the end. Up to now, I have seen an approach that is mostly theoretical and not practical to the matter. Industry 4.0 moves from a specific need and, then, develops, the system. The financing comes after the approach, not before”.

APPROXIMATELY 15 PER CENT OF INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES IN THE CERAMIC AND PLANT SECTOR ARE ALREADY ABLE TO CARRY OUT A 4.0 REVOLUTION AND ACCEDE AT THE RELATED BENEFITS

It means, in many cases, that plants have to be underdone and built again.
“Sure, plants, their configuration and their organization change. It is this fact that renders hard to accede to industry 4.0, and it requires an intense commitment, both under the logistic and the financial point of view. The entire factory must evolve, and its production process must be designed in relation to this rolling stock, from the available spaces to the method for processing the orders. It must be highlighted the fact that, in order for this process to function, all must be interconnected, and Industry 4.0 requires exactly this setting. It is not enough to mechanize some sectors, it is a closed manufacturing process embracing the beginning (the acquisition of raw material) and going to the very end (the packaging, logistics and shipping etc). I myself have changed instrumental good for a worth of 15 million euro in order to produce Modula and have also changed the executive projects of the entire plant. Today, this offers me a flexibility and capacity of management of the process that, before, I could not even imagine”.

As it is the case with all the revolutions, starting from the first industrial revolution, the novelty scares. Especially when it comes to employment, there is widespread fear that the mechanization will lead to jobs loss, and there are event few people proposing to tax robots as a compensation for the diminishing of human work.
“This is told, the perspective has to change also when it comes to operators. The training of those who will work in these processes will count much, but even more will do the creativity and flexibility of those who contribute to their realization and implementation.
It is an upward development, which will entail the creation of new jobs.
Sure, concerting the traditional idea of employment, we are moving towards pants where machines will do the entire job, but they will not expel workers, just push them towards roles of development and design”.

REVOLUTION 4.0 IS ALREADY HERE AND, RELATING TO PROGRAM 2017, THE MOST HEADED MOMENT IS NOW

When did a revolution like that become possible? Which are the great discoveries that eased it?
“Undoubtedly with the development and the explosion of telecommunications.
A process that was before closed and mono-directional not is interconnected and bi-directional, exchanging continuously data both upwards and downwards each step. The possibility to transmit at a high speed huge quantities of data made it possible. This, you can’t ask to a human worker. Human being will still be used in intermediate steps of the process and for control positions, but the system will increasingly auto power will exchange data one another, will self-diagnose problems and malfunctions”.

According to your description, everything seems nice and future-focused, but really hard to realize.
“Right now, I believe that in our sector, and more generally in Italian manufacturing, no more than 15-20 per cent of the companies are able to have access to the financial aids for systems like these. Financial aids expressively require this specific approach, continuously adjourned by the producer. Total interconnection should also be enlarged from the producer of the plants to the user, continuing also in this case to exchange information and data: the producer is more and more integrated, and the supplier involved in the approach. An initiative on the part of companies in undoubtedly needed, but it requires also great investments and it is necessary to take into account also that some instrumental goods, as much avant-garde as they could be, do not fit the category”.

Do you believe that, from an employment point of view, this will be a good opportunity for the young people who, being born digital, have undoubtedly more familiarity and speed with telecommunications?
My company has always been looking for and used young and resourceful employees. If I were to say that the age is enough as a feature, I would be lying: it is always necessary to be able to guide who works with you, whichever the age. This is what an entrepreneur with adequate features should do”.

 As with other revolutions, also this one will have a landing point or, at least, will lose part of the speed in future. In your opinion, have we already reached an advanced phase, or do we still have much do better?
“Truthfully, I believe we are still at the beginning. The process is still completely evolving, and there is so much to explore”.

 New, intelligent, machines, and sensor with a high efficiency: do they also mean greater safety in the plants?
“With these systems, we could even be speaking of companies with no lights, as it is said, where everything works automatically and in a situation of complete safety. Human beings, in fact, will be less and less present in the manufacture process, while the offices devoted to the design and the integration of these processes will be more and more crowded. Thus, we will only have to worry about safety and working conditions in overcrowded offices, not in the factory”.