Beginning in the 1760s, with the rise of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, the invention and application of a new power machine, the steam engine, brought mankind into the age of steam. 1760-1860 Industry 1.0 era, the main symbol is the hydraulic and steam engine, realized mechanization; From 1861 to 1950, the Industrial 2.0 era was marked by electricity and electric motors, which realized electrification. 1951-2010 The period of industry 3.0 era, the main mark is electronics and computers, realized automation; Nowadays, intelligence, information and personalization mark that we have entered the era of Industry 4.0, and automation technology is booming in China.

The development of Internet technology has subverted all industries in our era. Industry is the foundation of The Times and the most solid cornerstone of economic development. The combination of the two is bound to create a dazzling spark. "Internet big data + transmission manufacturing" is the essence of Industry 4.0. "Industry 4.0" is the first concept proposed by Germany, the United States followed the launch of the "Industrial Internet", and developed to China, we have the "made in China" goal. Of course, the essential content of these three is the same, and they all point to a central point, that is, intelligent manufacturing.

The development of industrial automation in China is inseparable from the improvement of the technical level of many industries in the national economy. It is the key strength for the transformation of traditional industries, the establishment of automation industrial system and high and new technology industries.

The future development prospect of industrial automation control in the era of Industry 4.0

Looking at the current industrial development in China, in the next ten years, there will be sufficient development of three types of companies in the field of China's industry 4.0: the first type is smart factories, divided into two types, the first is the transformation of traditional factories into smart factories, the second is a born smart factory; The second category is solution companies, Industry 4.0 solution companies that provide intelligent factory top-level design, transformation path mapping, and integrated hardware and software implementation for manufacturing companies.

The third category is technology suppliers, including industrial Internet of Things, industrial network security, industrial big data, cloud computing platform, MES system, in addition to these three categories, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, knowledge work automation and other technology suppliers will also face huge development prospects.