Industry 5.0 - coming to an industrial facility near you soon

So what is Industry 5.0 and what does it mean for the industrial sector? Well, much like its predecessor Industry 4.0, Industry 5.0 will mean different things to different people and enterprises.

At the most basic level Industry 5.0 can be defined as representing the next evolutionary step in the industrial sector, building upon the foundations of Industry 4.0. However, while Industry 4.0 focuses on automation, digitisation, and the integration of cyber-physical systems, Industry 5.0 can be seen as having an altogether more human-centric ethos, shifting the focus towards a harmonious collaboration between humans and machines, emphasising the personalisation of products and protecting the element of human creativity in the manufacturing process.

Industry 5.0 has been described as seeking to enhance human skills by leveraging advanced technologies, allowing workers to focus on creative and complex tasks while machines handle repetitive and mundane activities. This is intended to improve job satisfaction, reduce errors, and foster innovation.

Another hallmark of Industry 5.0 is the ability to produce highly customised and personalised products using advanced manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing, AI, and machine learning.

Fitting nicely into the overall movement towards sustainability, Industry 5.0 prioritises environmentally friendly practices, aiming to reduce waste and energy consumption through more efficient production processes and the use of sustainable materials.

Industry 5.0 leverages cutting-edge technologies to create intelligent and adaptive manufacturing systems. These technologies enable real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and autonomous decision-making, leading to increased efficiency and reduced downtime.

Quoted as a defining feature of Industry 5.0 is collaboration between humans and robots. At a basic level, this can be achieved by choosing from the plethora of cobots (collaborative-robots) designed to work alongside human operators, enhancing their capabilities and assisting with tasks that require precision, strength, or endurance. This collaboration improves productivity and can help create a safer and more ergonomic working environment.

Positive as all the defining features of Industry 5.0 are, I can't help looking at the concept and wondering whether it is offering anything really different to Industry 4.0. I'm sure that regular readers of CDA will be already more than familiar with batch-size one, cobots, AI, sustainability –  indeed any and all of the touted elements of Industry 5.0.

Automation in general has long been viewed as a tool to take on the 'three Ds' - dirty, dull and dangerous tasks - freeing-up people to do more meaningful and fulfilling roles. And while it is undoubtedly more nuanced than I have indicated here, to me Industry 5.0 seems to be the natural evolution of this – albeit with a more natty label!

Charlotte Stonestreet

Editor