Raw Materials Needed for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Discussion
Overview of the Technologies Involved: Raw Materials Needed for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Hannah Pilgrim:
What technologies are needed to connect the “things”, and what metals are processed?
Industry 4.0 or the Industry of Things do not
describe one type of technology but refer to a
combination of dif ferent knowledge-based information systems and technologies. Central to
Industry 4.0 are Cyber Physical Systems (CPS), as
they combine the physical production process
with the virtual world. Materials, devices and
other components in the production chain are
connected to the internet via small computers
which are equipped with sensors and actors.
A 2016 study by the German Mineral Resources Agency (DERA) examines the probable demand for raw materials caused by different future technologies.
According to the DERA study, in 2035, the examined 42 future technologies will require the quadruple of the present lithium production, a threefold increase in heavy rare earths and one and a half times increase in light rare earths and tantalum. It is furthermore estimated that, due to the increased use of electronics, the global demand for copper will grow between 231 and 341 percent until 2050.
In the following, we will introduce a few of the technologies examined by the DERA study that are essential for digitalized production processes:
- Sensors are a key technology. In the production
process, sensors can measure the position or temperature of machines, product components, etc. In the past years, the use of sensors sharply increased. Although it is difficult to make scientifically valid statements about the future demand of sensors, it is clear that metals are used for the production of sensors, such as tin, tungsten, tantalum and platinum.
- Radio Frequency IDentification-Tags (RFID-Tags)
are another type of sensors. RFID-Tags enable the localization of objects through radio waves. They are used in the supply chain management. Calculations indicate that, in 2035, up to 85 trillion RFID-Tags could be sold per year. Compared with 6.3 billion in 2014, this is a huge increase. Metals needed for the production of RFID-Tags are silver, copper and aluminum.
- The digitalization of production also depends on
flat screens and touch screens. They consist of indium tin oxide, which in turn mainly consists of indium oxide. According to the DERA study, in 2035, up to 34 percent of the worldwide indium production may be used solely for the production of displays. Industrial robots are machines capable of working autonomously in the production process.
They consist of a manipulator (robotic arm), control instrument and the effector (gripper or tool). Robots are increasingly equipped with different sensors. Research of the International Federation of Robotics shows that global sales in industrial robots has increased in the past years. According to the International Federation of Robotics, in 2020, more than three million robots will probably work in industrial production.
The metal-, plastic- and electronic industry in particular rely on automated production. Robots – which are also equipped with a number of sensors – primarily consist of steel, copper, tin and silicon.
- High-performance microchips are mainly used
for mobile phones and WLAN chips. However, they are now being integrated in more and more devices. Within the context of Industry 4.0, the extended use of wireless communications in spacious production facilities will certainly increase the quantity of chips needed. Compared with ‘traditional’ chips, high-performance microchips are smaller, more ef ficient and can also be used at high temperatures. They consist primarily of gallium."
(https://ak-rohstoffe.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/PS_FS_Digitalization.pdf)