An Industry 4.0 Case Study in Plastics Manufacturing: Bridging the Gap Between the Current State and Future Trends

Abstract

The paper presents detailed research on bridging the gap between the theoretical and practical approach of Industry 4.0, considering a use case of the manufacturing company working in plastics production. In particular, we study an established Greek company in the textiles and plastics industry to present the current industry's technological status. Initially, we focus on the industrial process of a plastic manufacturing plant presenting the processes, methods, and equipment classification of such a factory. Subsequently, we focus on a novice method for developing or upgrading factories specializing in textiles and plastics and showcase its operational procedures. Lastly, after identifying the current state of affairs, we further expand on the key points that need change to develop the technological operations of an industry plan from Industry 3.0 to Industry 4.0. Specifically, to achieve this, we provide a detailed techno-economic proposal that suggests a trade-off between optimal quality and continuity of operations for an Industry 4.0 level factory. The technical novelty of this article lies in taking a step back and providing a top-down technological approach to the current state of affairs in machinery, supply chain, and factory operations level while suggesting cost-effective methods to increase productivity, reduce production errors and pave the way for smart manufacturing techniques.