Industry 1.0 marks the use of steam engines for production process mechanization. Industry 2.0 came about with the utilization of electricity and assembly lines. Industry 3.0 went further by introducing control automation to processes. 

The current epoch of the industrial revolution is Industry 4.0 . It is marked by the use of data and computing systems in production processes. Internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence, and cloud computing are at the core of Industry 4.0. 

IoT captures data regarding manufacturing operations. Artificial intelligence helps to analyze and gain actionable insights from this vast amount of data. Cloud computing is where data is hosted and analyzed. Industry 4.0 is characterized by information technology (IT) use and data in physical production processes.

What is Industry 5.0?

Industry 5.0 is the logical term for the next step in the evolution of industrial processes. Industry 4.0 is poised to eke out the maximum efficiency and productivity possible for industries. The next stage is to introduce a human element to the production, which was not at all a factor in any of the previous industrial epochs. 

Industry 5.0 will put people at the center of operations. This includes customers, employees, and other individual stakeholders. 

In the drive for efficiency, the previous industrial epochs focused on production techniques and processes. People were not much of a concern in such a dynamic. With production efficiency peaking with Industry 4.0, the human element is pivotal in moving the industry forward.

Customers did not have the luxury of purchasing personalized goods at affordable prices with standardized production. Industry 5.0 will change the paradigm by bringing affordable yet personalized products to customers. Improving customer experience in the product purchase journey and post-purchase will also be central for industry 5.0.

This human-centric approach extends to employees of manufacturers. They usually had to work like drones. This did not allow them to bring out their creativity in the workplace. The changes in industry 5.0 will create a space where manufacturing workers can be creative to better the customer experience.

Impact of Industry 5.0 on manufacturing

Industry 5.0 focuses on individuals by moving away from standardized products to custom solutions. Each item produced will differ from the previous one to accommodate individual preferences. Manufacturing and operations need to be dynamic to facilitate this change. 

Industry 3.0 and 4.0 dealt with the automation of production processes where the products and processes were standardized. With industry 5.0, manufacturers have to move to a whole new level of automation where neither products nor processes need not be standardized. These changes reflect in a whole range of manufacturing processes from automating demand estimation to automating maintenance activities .

Two technologies not used in the previous epochs of the industrial revolution, but will be vital are 3D printing and collaborative robots. 3D printing is a technology that manufacturers will have to rely on to produce custom products for different consumers. In due course of time, the cost of 3D printing technology will come down with technical improvements. This will make 3D printing accessible to a wide range of manufacturers and consumers.

Collaborative robots or cobots are the other major technology critical for industry 5.0. Most industrial robots of the current generation are geared towards automation and better efficiency. Collaborative robots have different purpose. They are designed to support human activities in manufacturing facilities. Cobots will take on the more physically intensive and mundane tasks in the factory. This gives employees the chance to indulge in more creative work to facilitate the custom requirements of consumers. 

Industry 5.0 will also place an increased focus on sustainability in manufacturing. According to estimates from the Environmental Protection Agency , 24% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States are from industries and manufacturing. 

The leaders in manufacturing realize the harm caused by the manufacturing industry to the environment. 

Sustainable manufacturing practices like the use of renewable sources of energy, carbon capture, use of sustainable materials, etc will be increasingly relied on. The adoption of sustainable manufacturing is again putting humans and their well-being at the center of manufacturing activities.

In a nutshell…

From the dawn of the industrial revolution, efforts focused on the standardization of products to improve efficiency, increase scale, and reduce the cost of production. In this race towards efficiency, individual preferences were not the primary concern. Industry 5.0 leverages modern technologies to bring people to the center of the production process. 

This includes customers, employees of the organization, and any other stakeholders. Manufacturers in the industry 5.0 paradigm will use advancing technologies like 3D printing and collaborative robots. This helps to produce custom goods at a low cost with less effort from employees.

Bryan Christiansen 

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The founder and CEO of Limble CMMS. Limble is a mobile CMMS software that takes the stress and chaos out of maintenance by helping managers organize, automate, and streamline their maintenance operations.