“Industrie 4.0” and Smart Manufacturing – A Review of Research Issues and Application Examples

A fourth industrial revolution is occurring in global manufacturing. It is based on the introduction of Internet of things and servitization concepts into manufacturing companies, leading to vertically and horizontally integrated production systems. The resulting smart factories are able to fulfill dynamic customer demands with high variability in small lot sizes while integrating human ingenuity and automation. To support the manufacturing industry in this conversion process and enhance global competitiveness, policy makers in several countries have established research and technology transfer schemes. Most prominently, Germany has enacted its Industrie 4.0 program, which is increasingly affecting European…