A Strategic Model to take the First Step Towards Industry 4.0 in SMEs

Over the last few years, there has been a clear evolution in the suppliers of the automotive industry due to constant demands imposed by OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), systematically requiring an increase in the level of quality and competitiveness of products. The continuous requirement to increase productivity in this sector makes it necessary to modernize technology and the need to monitor all production at a distance, also making the manufacturing process more autonomous. However, more traditional companies in developing countries cannot move abruptly to an integrated production and management system. Thus, it is necessary to establish an industrial implementation strategy for this type of companies. The evolution of the work method on the factory shop-floor must be gradual so that there is a greater effectiveness in the change of working paradigm. This paper aims to establish a model of gradual implementation of industry 4.0 in SMEs currently working in a traditional way, so that workers can have the opportunity to evolve in their cognitive capacities with technological evolution, promoting a symbiosis between technological change and the change of mentality, habits of work and technological knowledge of the workers. In order to test the validity of the model, it was developed a case study, through its implementation in a components’ cutting process for the automotive industry. The progress should follow the whole procedure of assembling and shipping of the intermediate product in order to increase their reliability and monitoring. A production control system based on automation and information was created, which allows the product state to be known in real time, triggering the whole process of logistics and subsequent processing in a completely automatic way. After the implementation of this pilot system, it is much simpler to proceed with the training and technological updating of the workers regarding the following processes.