Industry 4.0 is revolutionizing the way companies operate, and Quality 4.0 is one of the ways organizations can embrace this technological transformation. While Quality 4.0 is not just a monitoring tool, it helps anticipate and prevent problems, and solves them effectively if they occur. This approach to quality management is crucial in addressing the challenges that the Fourth Industrial Revolution has brought to Quality Management (QM), such as increasingly complex and customized products, small batches of production models in short periods, and additive and precision manufacturing supported by modeling and simulation.
The integration of smart processes and improving real-time QM with synchronizing data manufacturing processes and activities can enhance the role of QM. Quality 4.0 integrates data and technologies to promote employees' creativity and enhance quality performance, leading to continuous improvement and a competitive strategy focus on quality and innovation.
However, organizations face obstacles in implementing Quality 4.0, such as high initial costs and a lack of resources and implementation processes. Therefore, the integration of digital technologies in QM needs to be met at both the technical and human levels, with the human factor being equally important to drive the performance of Quality 4.0 throughout the organization.
Shop floor operators play a crucial role in production processes and need systems that enhance communication, collaborative work, and learning. Technological solutions can help operators overcome current challenges and increase their skills, making shop floor work more appealing to new generations. A scientific paper discusses the benefits of big data for shop floor engineers and operators in improving the efficiency and quality of production processes. The study proposes leveraging worker participation and engagement through Industry 4.0 and providing real-time customized and user-friendly solutions to improve quality control performance.
The study follows a mixed research approach with a singular case study, focusing on two innovative IT projects developed and tested in a Portuguese automobile manufacturing company. The projects, Smart Vision (SV) and Cognitive Assistant (CA), aimed to detect and prevent defects in the assembly line. The SV project, following the PDCA cycle, identified appearance degradation (AD) defects as the most non-quality impact, leading to the development of a video control system to inspect the vehicle's external surface on the assembly line. The pilot project was successful in detecting and preventing AD defects, improving quality control performance, and worker engagement.
Another scientific paper describes two projects implemented in a quality control process of an automobile assembly line. The first project, called SV, uses a camera system to detect and explore images of defects in real-time. The second project, called CA, uses a portable audio system to provide operators with instructions to prevent defects from occurring. Both projects aim to improve the quality of the assembly line by reducing defects caused by cognitive overload and high vehicle diversity. The SV project showed promising results in detecting and identifying defects, while the CA project prevented defects from occurring in the first place. The projects have the potential to be replicated in other risk workstations to improve quality performance.
The integration of Industry 4.0 in quality control and its potential benefits for shop floor operators is the subject of another scientific paper. The study focuses on two IT projects, the SV and CA control systems, which demonstrate different approaches to quality control. The paper identifies seven key elements for successful IT integration in quality control, including prioritizing quality problems, involving multidisciplinary teams, adopting a continuous improvement approach, taking a human-centered and user-friendly approach, implementing direct Quality Control 4.0, and using communication and motivation strategies. By following these elements, organizations can improve quality performance and increase employee satisfaction and motivation.
In conclusion, Quality 4.0 is an essential tool for companies to embrace Industry 4.0 fully. While the integration of digital technologies in QM may face obstacles, the benefits of Quality 4.0 are undeniable. Shop floor operators play a crucial role in the production process, and technological solutions can help them overcome current challenges and increase their skills, making shop floor work more appealing to new generations. The success of projects like SV and CA shows that the integration of Industry 4.0 in quality control can bring significant improvements to quality performance and employee engagement.
Authors
Silva, C. S., Borges, A. F., & Magano, J. (2022). Quality Control 4.0: a way to improve the quality performance and engage shop floor operators. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 39(6), 1471-1487. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQRM-05-2021-0138