Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is built upon the capabilities of Internet of Things technologies that facilitate the recollection and processing of data. Originally conceived to improve the performance of manufacturing facilities, the field of application for I4.0 has expanded to reach most industrial sectors. To make the best use of the capabilities of I4.0, machine architectures and design paradigms have had to evolve. This is particularly important as the development of certain advanced manufacturing technologies has been passed from large companies to their subsidiaries and suppliers from around the world. This work discusses how design methodologies, such as those based on functional analysis, can incorporate new functions to enhance the architecture of machines. In particular, the article discusses how connectivity facilitates the development of smart manufacturing capabilities through the incorporation of I4.0 principles and resources that in turn improve the computing capacity available to machine controls and edge devices. These concepts are applied to the development of an in-line metrology station for automotive components. The impact on the design of the machine, particularly on the conception of the control, is analyzed. The resulting machine architecture allows for measurement of critical features of all parts as they are processed at the manufacturing floor, a critical operation in smart factories. Finally, this article discusses how the I4.0 infrastructure can be used to collect and process data to obtain useful information about the process.

No abstract

One of the most common products in the construction industry is brick due to its advantages over other building materials such as blocks. In developing countries like Ecuador, brick is handcrafted and is the source of income for thousands of families. These bricks lack a systematized process that optimizes resources to make a brick that meets local regulations. This study evaluates the use of the different raw materials used in production through experimental designs to determine the amount of optimal components locally available (“White Clay,” “Black Clay,” “Water”) and achieve the maximum compressive strength in dry-pressed ceramic bricks. This research also identifies the behavior of the compressive strength based on the compaction pressure in the molding stage, concluding that the model that best fits the behavior is a quadratic model, and from the trace plot, it was observed that compared with “White Clay,” “Black Clay” contributes further to the brick strength. The optimal amount of components to meet the 6 MPa pressure standard required in the brick was 5% water, 85% “Black Clay” and 10% “White Clay.” The pressure value required in the compaction stage was 4.9Mpa (712psi,) and greater strength can be achieved by only adding “Black Clay” and water.