Several authors have presented and defined numerous technologies to support intralogistics, including:
To obtain a comprehensive understanding of the effects of emerging technologies on society, it is essential to utilize supplementary tools. Consequently, frameworks have been explored in literature, outlining how to implement new technologies in the context of a collaborative effort between humans and machines, established through new forms of interaction.
3. The 5.0 Industry-Based Framework
A framework aimed at assisting enterprises in adopting state-of-the-art technologies for the supply of production lines is proposed (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. Framework for feeding production lines with an Industry 5.0 perspective.
This framework is designed to align with the three fundamental principles of Industry 5.0 by addressing the key questions already mentioned in the introduction.
For each question, an operational checklist is proposed with critical points that should be met in order to efficiently implement and manage new technology to feed assembly lines, in conformity with the concepts of Industry 5.0.
3.1. How Can Production Lines Be Supplied in a Human-Centric Way?
To increase the human centricity of assembly line processes, user-oriented technologies must be implemented while also prioritizing workplace safety and operator participation during implementation. To satisfy these critical points, Figure 2 provides a list of actions that would be appropriate to take, which will be explained in detail in the following subsections.
Figure 2. Operational checklist for the human centricity pillar.
3.1.1. User-Oriented Technologies
To ensure that technology is user-oriented, it should simplify the activities of all operators (both on the line and in the warehouse) and make processes and workflows more efficient and productive. For instance, these technologies must handle hazardous, complicated, or non-value-added intralogistics activities.
The technologies involved in interacting with operators for activity management or calling systems should be selected with consideration for ease of use and accessibility to all, including individuals without advanced technical skills. It is important to ensure that everyone can utilize these technologies effectively. For example, by using smartphones and tablets, learning levels could be very high, as most people use these devices daily.
In addition, the use of clear and intuitive visual management tools can help to reduce operator training times and facilitate the integration of new technologies into existing workflows.
3.1.2. Keeping Workplace Safe
When introducing new technologies, it is essential to assess safety in the workplace.
It is crucial to identify technologies that provide the highest level of protection, by examining their safety features in detail. These technologies should be designed to work cooperatively with humans.
To ensure safety, it is advisable to conduct a risk analysis and, at least for the most dangerous risks, to define solutions to reduce the severity or probability of occurrence to an acceptable level. Particular attention should be paid to the safety of the routes of people and equipment feeding the production lines, minimizing the risk of intersection/collision between them.
Another important analysis to consider is the interference between the different handling vehicles operating in the plant. This is crucial in order to prevent collisions or traffic congestion among them.
Additionally, it is necessary to minimize the risk of materials being overturned during material handling, transportation, and storage when introducing a new device.
Finally, it is recommended to conduct ergonomic assessments when altering the arrangement of materials in warehouses or on production lines, in order to enhance workers’ safety, well-being, and health.
3.1.3. Operator Participation
It is important to involve operators in the process of implementing new technologies from the beginning, considering their needs and preferences in the working environment. In fact, their feedback can provide important information to optimize efficiency and usefulness.
For this purpose, it is advisable to interview both the line and warehouse operators to jointly define the positioning of materials and to discuss any changes that should be made within the plant. The aim is to put feedback from users and people who come into contact with the technologies at the heart of the process, so that decisions are shared and agreed by all, rather than being imposed from above. This can contribute to increased acceptance among workers.
In addition, clear communication about the use and benefits of integrating these technologies can facilitate employee acceptance and adoption.
Finally, it is crucial to organize targeted and appropriate training for those who will use or come into direct contact with the new technology.
3.2. How Can Production Lines Be Supplied Sustainably?
The technologies selected for feeding production lines must be geared towards sustainability. Thus, resource optimization, recycling, and the use of eco-friendly materials should be emphasized. The key actions to achieve these objectives are shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3. Operational checklist for the sustainability pillar.
3.2.1. Optimization of Resource Use
It is important to consider environmental performance when choosing which technology to adopt and which supplier to rely on. It is preferable to choose solutions that require the least amount of energy during operations. Furthermore, priority should be given to suppliers who are located closest to the point of installation. This approach can limit emissions related to the transportation of the technology solutions, thus reducing the overall environmental impact from a life cycle perspective.
In order to reduce time and associated resource consumption, it is advisable to optimize the movement of materials, e.g., by revising paths from storage locations to production lines, a feature that may usually be provided together with the technology itself (e.g., AMR).
Lastly, the technologies ought to provide lower energy consumption compared to existing methods of material handling. An analysis of energy consumption must be carried out both in the current state (AS IS) and in the future state (TO BE) to quantify energy savings.
3.2.2. Recycling or Environmentally Friendly Material Adoption
In order to establish a true culture of sustainability within the company, it is important to evaluate even small actions that can promote reuse, recycling, or adoption of less-impacting materials. For example, if it is necessary to build new tools for material handling (e.g., trolleys), it is advisable to reuse/recycle materials already present in the plant and directly involve workers in their design and construction. Alternatively, low environmental impact materials should be preferred when purchasing.
3.3. How Can Production Lines Be Supplied Resiliently?
In this context, resilience is the ability to adapt, resume activities, and maintain optimal performance in the face of unexpected changes, problems, or failures. Figure 4 shows the key points of interest that need to be addressed to ensure that the new processes can be considered resilient. Problems should be prevented from occurring through continuous monitoring, preventive maintenance, and special attention to IT security. To be prepared when problems do occur, in addition to having redundancies and backup systems in place, the technologies need to be adaptable and flexible.
Figure 4. Operational checklist for the resilience pillar.
3.3.1. Redundancy and Backup Systems
For a resilient process, it is important to have redundancies in place to continue feeding the production lines in the event of temporary technical problems with the adopted technologies.
It is also necessary to define alternative solutions and contingency plans to ensure the correct execution of material handling operations even in the case of prolonged faults or malfunctions of the new technologies.
3.3.2. Monitoring and Maintenance
Ongoing monitoring of new technologies is essential to ensure their consistent operations, just as with any other machine. Advanced sensors could be installed to monitor the performance and health of innovations and alert staff to any issues.
Preventive maintenance measures are crucial for identifying and resolving issues before they can interfere with the feeding of production lines and affect the throughput of the production system. Evolution towards conditioned/predictive maintenance relying on real-time data from sensors can limit downtime and better exploit the useful life of the equipment.
For this reason, it is essential to plan specific and continuous training for maintenance personnel, whether internal or external to the organization.
3.3.3. Adaptability and Flexibility
Technologies must be flexible and capable of adapting to varying operating conditions, whilst not disrupting the flow of feeding operations.
It’s vital to ensure that these technologies can reach all points of the plant to be served, taking into account both operational and company-specific conditions.
It is prudent to identify solutions able to face unanticipated occurrences or upcoming challenges, such as new materials to be handled, changes in layout, or positions in which materials should be delivered along the lines.
Flexible and versatile planning allows to manage changes due to the production process. Thus, it is imperative to maintain the feeding of the production lines in the most critical situations, such as when production demand increases.
Finally, selecting technologies that ensure scalability is a recommended practice, enabling easy integration of new devices in the future.
3.3.4. Cyber Security
For the production line feeding process to be deemed resilient, it is crucial to prioritize IT security.
It is important to consider cybersecurity aspects when selecting both the technology and supplier to be relied upon, e.g., for the customization of the software that enables the technologies to operate. The aim is to avoid any hidden costs that may arise from problems caused by a lack of cyber security.
To safeguard against potential cyber threats, both internal and external to the organization, it is essential to implement strict security protocols. These protocols must protect technological controls from unauthorized access and ensure operators’ safety. Any cyber-attacks on the new technology infrastructure can cause problems for the organization or even have far-reaching consequences.
It is also possible to establish audits of any software used and to define a Service Level Agreement (SLA) to obtain a prompt resolution of any problems from the supplier.