Logistics 4.0
Logistics 4.0 describes the fourth industrial revolution, based on the cross-sectional function of logistics in the production of operational services. A modification of the term can be found in the English-language translation, since in the English-speaking world the term Smart Factory or Smart Manufacturing is used as a synonym. The term 4.0 is integrated into the rapidly developing world of digitization and represents the successor to the three previous industrial revolutions.
Conceptualization
“Logistics 4.0 is characterized by transparency, networking and automated processes, i. H. the internal value creation processes are standardized, highly automated and networked on the IT side. Logistics 4.0 enables better control and decision-making processes through available information and adaptive algorithms. Often one speaks of a compulsory, complementary addition for the manufacturing industries 4.0 "-" No Industry 4.0 without digitizing the supply chain . "" So it is not surprising that some of the central goals of the fourth industrial revolution cannot be achieved without adapted logistics "There is therefore a correlation between the generic term Industry 4.0, as an expression of (future) digitization and networking processes in industry, and Logistics 4.0 as an application area, but especially as an enabler for the successful implementation of Industry 4.0 in companies.
Demarcation Approach - "Industrial Change"
Industry 4.0 stands for the gradual dissolution of the boundaries between the digital and real world, through communication and information technologies as well as automation and artificial intelligence (AI), to highlight just a few trends. In the course of the third industrial revolution, “(partial) automation of work steps was established. (The) human labor (was) "replaced by the increasing use of electronics and computer technology in the form of CNC machines and industrial robots" (...) in series production ". Logistics 3.0 works according to the "island principle", which describes rigid supply and production chains. This is to be redesigned through further development into a flexible network with cross-company information exchange. This revolution is believed to have a comparable impact on the economy and work organization. An important step towards the fourth industrial revolution was the establishment and expansion of the Internet. Over time, the possibilities for storing data and information increased, so that the Internet made it possible not only to network people with one another, but also to include machines in this information cycle. The networking and forwarding of information, not only within the product development process (PDP), but also in peripheral operational processes, made it possible to adapt the logistics to this process.
aims
"The digital transformation, in particular the networking of logistical processes, ensures more transparency in the supply and shipping chains and thus better supply chain management." Included are "the main features of Industry 4.0 such as networking, decentralization, real-time capability or service orientation." The application of new technologies and processes to optimize the basic logistical requirements for product, quality, time, place, quantity and costs (6R) as well as flexibility and information transparency of the digital revolution, opens up new horizons for efficiency and process optimization of all material and information flows between a company and his environment. The empowerment of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) is based on the self-interest of large and industrial companies. A change in the topology of logistic networks towards decentralized and flexible systems in internal transport is taking place. This is based on appropriate integration platforms which, thanks to an extensive database, are able to equip autonomous, driverless transport systems (AGVs) with swarm intelligence . In this way, the trend towards individualization of customer requirements with batch size one can be implemented in logistics. Furthermore, megatrends of the future, such as climate change, scarcity of resources, globalization and demographic change must be analyzed and requirements for the logistics of the future derived from them.
Challenges
In tomorrow's logistics, humans act as “creative problem solvers” in collaboration with robots and autonomous systems. Simple physical activities are being completely replaced by machines. “As a result of the increase in data, managers and employees are exposed to increased process and information complexity. In order to guarantee acceptance and avoid excessive demands, a rethinking of work organization and design (is) necessary. ”The employees become part of the Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) through smart devices and avatars. "At the same time, new jobs for monitoring and maintaining the devices (arise)." In addition, the ever-increasing amounts of data result in data protection problems and the inappropriate use of customer or supplier data. Generally applicable regulations must be found for this. One approach to increasing data security and reducing the potential for manipulation is blockchain technology. It provides a completely transparent system status.
Overarching characteristics, developments or trends
Cognitive logistics
Logistics 4.0 aims to create cognitive logistics processes and systems that “are characterized, among other things, by the ability to learn, intelligence and decision-making ability”. “With cognitive logistics, the system components communicate with one another without human intervention. The system recognizes the problem itself and organizes a solution ”.
Internet of things
The Internet of Things (IoT) plays a central role in this process . It enables objects of all kinds to be networked in the logistics process. This primarily refers to the exchange of data between the physical object and its digital image, which merges the real and virtual world in the IoT. The digital image is called the digital twin of the object, which always receives data from the operation of the physical object in real time via the IoT. It enables various scenarios to be tried out before they are actually carried out and problems and opportunities for improvement can be discovered at an early stage. “In logistics, digital twins enable the simulation of the material flow. With their help, the utilization of logistical processes can be visualized in real time - and then optimized ”.
Self-control and decentralization
A striking trend in logistics is self-control and decentralization. Self-control means that units and systems independently pursue a given goal or maintain a state without direct instructions from outside. Developments in this area enable decentralized control and autonomy in logistical processes.
Digital value creation process
The collection and utilization of data and information is at the center of the logistical development, which redefined the digital value creation cycle. It all starts with the collection and transmission of data with the help of sensors or intelligent products, for example . The data obtained in this way are now cleaned up and checked for quality. If at the beginning of the process insufficient quality has been achieved, the end product will not meet the quality requirements either. This step is carried out using statistical methods or specific algorithms. Then you also integrate other data sources, such as from areas outside the company, so that a linked data set is available for the intended business purpose. Methods such as data mining or operation research can then be used to derive information from this data that could not have been derived from the original data. The information can now be provided via standardized interfaces or suitable user interfaces so that it can be used in the higher-level logistical process.
ID
For the necessary data exchange between the objects and their digital image in the IoT, all objects and actors must be clearly identified. There are various identification systems and standards that are based on identification by means of a number or character sequence, such as the GS1 standard family . These standards are most widely used in the consumer goods industry, whereas the ODETTE standard dominates in the automotive industry. These standardized data structures can be coded in different ways. This includes the display as a classic barcode , two-dimensional data matrix code and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) transponder. In contrast to the previous options, an RFID reader and processing middleware are required here for reading out and further processing. If the objects to be identified can determine their location independently and communicate, this is often done via satellite navigation systems such as GPS , GLONASS or Galileo .
Sensor technology and embedded systems
In addition to the identification and location of objects, the recording of conditions such as temperature, pressure, fill level or energy consumption plays a decisive role in Logistics 4.0. For this purpose, sensors and embedded systems are used that enable autonomous measurement. The object itself therefore records the required measured variables.
Data transmission and data processing technologies
These new methods of data acquisition mean that information about logistical objects is often available on the move, which means that a high-performance and at the same time inexpensive radio data link is necessary. Data transmission and data processing technologies must save the required data and make it accessible. This requires high speeds and capacities. Uniform communication standards must be created so that the collected data can now also be exchanged between the different systems. This can be done over the Internet in the form of cloud computing . The Internet offers the complex requirements and applications of the technologies a means of communication that enables the networking of different systems and actors. "It can thus be understood as the backbone and perhaps the most important prerequisite for Logistics 4.0".
Big data
Another trend in the development towards Logistics 4.0 is the change to Big Data and the resulting data analysis. This not only means the ever-increasing amounts of data, but also the possibility of linking different data sources and uncovering connections through analyzes, explaining phenomena or making forecasts.
Cyber-physical systems
All these new requirements for technologies are combined in cyber-physical systems (CPS) .
Blockchain
Another crucial technology is blockchain technology. Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology . Information is stored in a data structure made up of blocks that have been linked with hash values. In this way, they can be documented in a forgery-proof manner and communicated to all those involved in real time. Since a database is accessed by different parties involved, there are decentralized and diverse user rights, which creates transparency and minimizes the risk of errors. Blockchain "is to be understood as a decentralized database that allows companies and private individuals to carry out payments and other transactions without any intermediaries". One advantage of this technology is the clear chronological listing of all transactions with the respective time stamp and the protection by a cryptological procedure. The private and public keys of the sender and recipient are used for this protection . The data chains are identical on several decentralized computing systems, and updates are made on all storage media at the same time. This prevents counterfeiting.
Application example of cellular transport systems
In the following, the example of cellular transport systems shows how the technologies mentioned above are used in logistics systems. For this purpose, the general functionality is first presented and then the applied technology areas are broken down into the developed technology areas.
General functionality and task of the system
In collaboration with industry, Fraunhofer IML has developed the Multishuttle Move, a driverless logistics system that is controlled by swarm intelligence . The system consists of many individual, small, structurally identical, inexpensive and autonomous shuttle units that exchange information via radio (WLAN) about order scheduling and route finding. The shuttles can use a rail system in warehouses with multiple levels to independently reach shelf spaces and leave the warehouse with the storage container without a transfer point. Outside the warehouse, they move freely and navigate without markings, only with the help of sensors and shared information from other shuttle units, on the shortest route to the destination (e.g. machine X in production). As a result, the area between the warehouse and the required location remains free of permanent continuous conveying technology and thus flexible. Due to the decentralized self-control, the overall performance of the system can be freely scaled by simply adding or leaving out autonomous vehicles. In addition, reliability is increased, because if a unit has a fault, the system does not stop, but the task is taken over by another unit.
Internet of things
"If things already know where they have to go, they can go there straight away." With this simple but also evolutionary sentence, one can understand cellular intralogistics as the logical consequence of the "Internet of Things". "
Self-control and decentralization
“The coordination of the vehicles - the swarm of vehicles - example of a Multishuttle Move System takes place [...] without a central control, ie decentralized according to the principle of the Internet of Things through the use of multi-agent software. Optimizations are based on metaheuristics like the ant algorithm (after M. Dorigo). This self-control makes the cellular transport systems changeable, since the overall performance of the system can be freely scaled by simply adding or leaving out autonomous vehicles. The swarm intelligence enables advantages such. B. when optimizing the overall transport throughput, since the knowledge of all vehicles is used. "
Identification, sensors and embedded systems
“The intelligent localization, navigation and collision avoidance are based on the newly developed hybrid sensor concept, consisting of dead reckoning, radio positioning, distance and inertial sensors. As a result, a shuttle can move around the area completely freely without guidelines and reacts dynamically to its surroundings, e.g. obstacles that appear in front of the vehicle - these can also be other vehicles. "Two different communication principles are used:" A direct point-to-point point transmission between sender and receiver (e.g. for load change coordination at the transfer point) as well as an indirect data exchange with the help of decentralized information nodes , so-called blackboards . Blackboards enable targeted storage and provision of information tailored to the knowledge requirements of individual functions (visualization, navigation, order scheduling) or areas (warehouse area, incoming / outgoing goods). "
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Logistics 4.0. Retrieved May 10, 2019 .
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Logistics 4.0 The digital transformation of the value chain Thomas Bousonville
- ↑ Through the ages : From Industry 1.0 to 4.0. Retrieved June 5, 2019 .
- ↑ a b c Logistics 4.0. Retrieved May 6, 2019 .
- ↑ a b c Daniel Thomas Roy Industry 4.0 - Design of cyber-physical logistics systems to support logistics management in the smart factory
- ↑ What is Logistics 4.0? Everything about digitization & logistics. Retrieved June 5, 2019 .
- ↑ Logistics 4.0 - An outlook on the planning and management of future logistics against the background of the fourth industrial revolution. Michael ten Hompel, Fraunhofer IML; Prof. Dr. Michael Henke, Fraunhofer IML
- ↑ Guido Follert, Fraunhofer IML, Logistik heute 05/2018, Huss Verlag GmbH, p. 37.
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↑ Handbook Industry 4.0 Business Models, Processes, Technology Year: 2017 Authors: Lieberoth-Leden, Christian Röschinger, Marcus Lechner, Johannes Günthner, Willibald A.
- ↑ Blockchain technology in the supply chain Author: Johannes Hinckeldeyn
- ↑ acquisition date, 04/2018, S. 22, Michael Grupp, freelance technical editor Stuttgart
- ↑ Logistics Today June 2018, p. 51.
- ↑ a b Blockchain in logistics: the dawn of the "Internet of secure transactions". Retrieved June 4, 2019 .
- ↑ a b c Discover Logistics Magazine of the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML Dortmund - Issue 9 (PDF) Retrieved on June 8, 2019 .
- ↑ On the way to cellular conveyor technology. (PDF) Retrieved June 8, 2019 .
- ↑ Annual Report 2010 (PDF) Accessed June 8, 2019 .