Industry 4.0
Tools for Modern Manufacturing
Stack-Light is committed to being your partner as you adopt Industry 4.0 in your facility. Our Andon and Status lights, along with our OEE software, can play a vital part in helping you reach your goals.
Industry 4.0 is the fourth industrial revolution — the ongoing transformation of manufacturing through digital technology, data, and automation.
The Four Industrial Revolutions
- 1.0 — Steam power, mechanization (1780s)
- 2.0 — Electricity, mass production, assembly lines (1870s)
- 3.0 — Computers, automation, PLCs (1970s)
- 4.0 — Connected machines, data, AI, real-time decision making (now)
Core Technologies of Industry 4.0
- IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) — machines and sensors connected and sharing data
- Cloud computing — store and access data anywhere
- Big data & analytics — turn machine data into actionable insights
- AI & machine learning — predict failures, optimize processes
- Digital twins — virtual replicas of physical equipment or processes
- Robotics & cobots — flexible, collaborative automation
- Cyber-physical systems — physical machines controlled by digital systems
What It Means on the Plant Floor
- Machines report their own status in real time
- Downtime is predicted before it happens
- OEE is tracked automatically, not on paper
- Supervisors see the whole floor from a tablet
- Data drives continuous improvement decisions
Where Stack Lights Fit into Industry 4.0
Stack lights and Andon systems are one of the simplest, most practical entry points into Industry 4.0. They bridge the physical and digital worlds. A light turns on, a button gets pressed, and that event is captured, timestamped, and stored.
At Stack-Light.com, we build products specifically designed for this. Our wireless Andon lights connect to the Stack Light Commander software, which gives you a real-time view of every station in your facility. Our system can work with or without your Wi-Fi or IT involvement. It is simple to set up, and we are always a phone call away.
The Stack Light Commander tracks how long each light has been on, how many times buttons have been pressed, and which stations are driving the most downtime. That's exactly the kind of cycle time and response time data that defines an Industry 4.0 visual factory.
Here's a real example of what that looks like:
• Station A presses the red (help needed) button 50 times per day. The red light is on for a total of 1 hour.
• Station B presses the red button once per day. The red light is on for 4 hours.
This data shows that Station A had a lot of problems throughout the day. But the problems were solved relatively quickly. A simple fix may eliminate the red button calls on Station A and save downtime.
Station B had only had one problem a day, but the problem was hard to solve or maintenance responded slowly.
This type of information lets management locate problems quickly and gives valuable Insights into possible solutions.
This is Industry 4.0 in action — turning a simple button press into a continuous improvement insight.
Start Simple
One of the biggest misconceptions about Industry 4.0 is that it requires a massive, all-at-once transformation. It doesn't. The most successful manufacturers start with one problem, one area, one system — and build from there.
Adding wireless Andon lights with software monitoring to your assembly line is a real Industry 4.0 upgrade. It's practical, it's affordable, and it pays back fast in reduced downtime and faster response times.
Stack-Light.com is here to help you take that step. We believe in technology, but also believe in a personal relationship with our customers. We have live experts standing by, and we answer the phone. Whether you're configuring a single station or rolling out a system across multiple facilities, we can help you design the right solution. Give us a call — we're always happy to help.
Ready to get started?
Visit www.stack-light.com, reach out at sales@stack-light.com , or best yet, give us a call at (678) 288-9678. We're standing by to help you build the right OEE system for your facility.