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The important things to know about Industry 3.0 are:

The third industrial revolution took place in the mid-twentieth century and was characterized by the automation and computerization of production processes.

It led to the introduction of programmable logic controllers (PLCs), which were mainly used for the assembly line and led to a significant increase in production rates. The efficiency of supply chains and logistics has improved.

Industry 3.0 is focused on the mass production of standardised products with limited customization capabilities using integrated circuits and basic software programming technology for process control.

Industry 4.0 technology filled out the lack of interoperability and connected the internet to other devices.

Industry 4.0 is mainly characterised by digital technologies such as the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, and cloud computing, leading to increased automation and efficiency.

It aims to create predictive, self-organising, and decentralised interconnected production systems. The main focus is the creation of smart factories with machines and equipment and also using big data and analytics to provide real-time insights into business operations to improve productivity, quality control, and cost-effectiveness.

Industry 4.0 is also focused on highly customised products to meet specific customer needs and demands. Collaborative robots are mainly employed to automate mundane and repetitive tasks. Augmented reality and virtual reality also support digital training and visual instructions.

Sustainability is promoted by reducing material usage, energy consumption, and waste. The key differences between Industry 4.0 and Industry 3.0 are:

• Automation level: Industry 4.0 is more automated, intelligent, and decentralised than Industry 3.0. The machines and equipment are digitalized to autonomously operate with each other.
• Human Assistance Level: Industry 4.0 aims to automate all tasks so that they do not require human work, reduce human intervention, and increase accuracy and safety compared to Industry 3.0.
• Customization: Compared to Industry 3.0, Industry 4.0 offers more customization of products and offers different product variations.
• Data efficiency: Industry 4.0 employed IoT technologies for collecting and analysing data in real time for better decision-making abilities as compared to Industry 3.0.
• Interoperability level: Compared to Industry 3.0, Industry 4.0 is more connected and interoperable, with machines and equipment communicating with each other more accurately and constantly.
• Digital Technologies integrated: The digital technologies are integrated with Industry 4.0 by leveraging services such as cloud computing, AR/VR, data analytics, and AI for improving process automation.
• Efficiency: Industry 4.0 is more efficient, and performance and productivity are also high due to its real-time tracking and analytics.
• Environmentally friendly: Industry 4.0 is more sustainable by reducing waste and the consumption of resources.

In simpler terms, Industry 4.0 is more advanced than its predecessor, Industry 3.0. It did serve its duty well enough, and now it has laid the solid foundation for Industry 4.0 in terms of automation and digitalization. It actually provides a real-world platform for automation, which was just a concept.

Sources:- kensobi, factoryscience, avnet, audaces