According to foreign media reports, most car companies are actively adopting Industry 4.0 standards. Therefore, major component suppliers are also unwilling to fall behind and strive to achieve the digital manufacturing required by Industry 4.0.

The transition to a 'digital factory' is not as easy as industry insiders expected, and it requires significant investment to replace existing systems with the technology and equipment required for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Many engineers believe that achieving this transformation will take at least several years.

However, some people believe that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is very attractive to automotive engineers, mainly reflected in short-term goals, including adopting numerical control systems to improve the performance of a specific stage in the manufacturing process, rather than replacing the entire production line.

In the vehicle assembly process, this method may be used to monitor the working condition of robots. Factories can use an affordable, detachable digital controller that utilizes microwave analysis to identify potential faults and take appropriate action on the robot before its performance is affected.

During operation, if potential performance issues are identified, engineers can choose to perform diagnostic checks or conduct overall evaluations. This type of light touch is an efficient and low-cost improvement solution that has been adopted by Japanese and Asian car companies.

Engineering managers can use captured or created executable data to remotely monitor the production operations of the factory. A M2M portal has been introduced that provides links for engineers to remotely monitor their device operations through smartphones or tablets. This method does not require the use of large-scale systems and can reduce the investment required to maintain world-class factory operations.

Industry 4.0 can not only improve production efficiency, but also provide system monitoring and enhance product quality. In addition, it can also achieve large-scale on-demand production. If the automotive industry adopts digitalization, it will see more software oriented focuses in the future, and investment direction will no longer be focused on presses and molds, providing more diversified customized projects for car companies.

Many large car companies have started to apply Industry 4.0, and first and second tier suppliers should also follow suit and begin to transition to digital production, otherwise they will lose their competitive advantage.

It is recommended to start with small-scale digital improvements rather than replacing the entire production system. Although achieving digital transformation of existing processes may seem impractical in the short term, it can help companies gain an advantage in future competition.

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