‘Industry 4.0’ technologies take off the competitiveness of Greek companies

“Industry 4.0” is the new way in which we design, produce and distribute products and services, utilizing the modern technologies of the 4th industrial revolution, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (machine learning), smart robotics , the analysis of big data, the modeling of the production process (digital twin), the internet of things (internet of things) etc. In practice, this translates to the smart factory and applications of “Robotics in Logistics / Logistics 4.0”.

The technologies of the 4th industrial revolution holistically transform the business model of operation. In particular, state-of-the-art robotic technology plays an essential role in improving productivity, meeting consumer expectations for adaptation, increasing continuous product innovation and continuously reducing manufacturers costs.

“Based on our experience from the applications we implement in companies in Greece and abroad, from various sectors of the economy, but also according to recent reports that we know of BSE, companies that climb the chariot of digital productive transformation can succeed up to 50% additional production time of machines, at least 10% less maintenance costs of machines, 30% improvement of production quality and 30% improvement in the availability of raw materials “, explains to” Forbes “Evangelos Gizelis, founder and CEO of Gizelis Robotics.

Mr. Gizelis also emphasizes that modern robotic technology concerns everyone, big and small players. “Despite the pressures of the times, companies are realizing that they will become obsolete and uncompetitive if they do not adopt technologically innovative robotics and automation solutions and applications, which will allow them to reduce their costs and increase their quality and productivity.” “It is also positive that the State is integrating investments in relevant technologies in the new development programs. I believe that now is the time for Greek industry to take advantage of the window of opportunity and, regardless of size, to board the new technology train,” he underlines.

The big changes

Industry leaders today increasingly rely on robots to take on tasks that are difficult, heavy, dangerous, tedious, or have specific requirements for accuracy and repeatability. “These technologies are now available in our country and we at Gizelis Robotics make sure to make these technologies affordable and functional”, notes Mr. Gizelis, adding that the robotic systems they are developing can give the industrial units the necessary impetus to be one step ahead of the competition, as they have a number of important advantages, such as:

i. Continuous operation: Since they can “work” 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

ii. Speed: They are adjusted according to the use, in a way that a person can not succeed.

iii. Repetition and consistent quality: They do the same job in exactly the same way, at the same speed, offering absolutely consistent quality.

iv. Safety: They are not affected at all by routine and work hazard.

v. Operating costs: They reduce the operating costs of the business, as these are limited to maintenance costs only.

vi. Flexibility: They can be easily adapted to new tasks and “tasks”. In addition, by using a tool changer they can serve the production of different products, further reducing costs.

vii. The experience of the company from its customers, inside and outside Greece, confirms that the companies that choose advanced robotics systems are raising the level, strengthening their financial figures and at the same time dramatically increasing their jobs. Robots are unique multipliers of value and growth for modern business.

Artificial intelligence is expected to double economic growth over the next 10 years, changing the nature of work and creating a new human-machine relationship. It is indicative of the coming changes that about 4 out of 10 jobs in the EU. will be significantly transformed due to artificial intelligence and automation, according to the European Center for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP).

Greek companies have realized the need to integrate these new technologies, but, according to Mr. Gizelis, they show a relative insecurity, due to the uncertainty that the new brings in combination with the investment risk. “Constant adaptation, foresight and flexibility remain factors that contribute to the new data created by the technological changes in the production process. On the other hand, working with leading companies from dynamic sectors of the economy (medicines, food “, metals), I am absolutely convinced that the Greek industry has forces that can lead it to innovation and extroversion”, Mr. Gizelis emphasizes.

Industry 4.0 in practice

“We are very proud because the first” smart “factory in our country, which marks the transition to the new era of IE 4.0, that of Calpak, bears the technological signature of Gizelis Robotics”, says Mr. Gizelis, adding that it is really for a smart factory model, since through automation and digital productive transformation they achieved improvement of product quality, vertical increase of productivity, reduction of labor intensity in manual work, significant improvement of safety conditions and flexibility in the production of new products and, by expansion, ability to penetrate new markets.

Gizelis Robotics substantially contributed to the first 4G / LTE campus network (private network) in Greece, as a result of the cooperation at the Calpak plant with COSMOTE and Ericsson. COSMOTE undertook the integration (integration) in the network of connected robotic machines of Gizelis Robotics and the augmented reality (AR) applications of the PTC company for the collection and utilization of data produced by the robotic mechanisms, forming an integrated ecosystem of production automation. Thus, the factory increases and optimizes production, while achieving fewer downtime and lower costs. It should also be noted that Calpak was selected by Cosmote and Ericsson for the first 5G industrial private network, which is being installed in the pilot system, with the aim of starting communication between the machines through the new powerful 5G network. This results in great potential in terms of monitoring productivity.

Other examples of customers in which Gizelis Robotics has completed important projects of automation of the production process, with impressive results, are, for example, the companies Corinth Pipeworks, Famar, Hellenic Dairies (Olympus), Megara Resins, the Swiss Marvinpac etc., while Significant robotic applications projects are already underway in industries and supply chain centers.