“Industry 4.0 now directly impacts all the process and manufacturing sectors.” - Miles Prosser, Secretary-General of the International Aluminium Institute

Miles Prosser is the Secretary-General of the International Aluminium Institute (IAI), the only body that represents the aluminium industry at the global level. With more than twenty years’ experience working on various industrial policy issues, Miles brings in-depth knowledge on resource allocation, sustainability and climate change.

Miles joined the IAI from the Australian Aluminium Council where he served as Executive Director for more than 10 years. He leads the IAI to promote the unique and valuable properties of aluminium in sustainable development. He holds an honours degree from the Australian National University.

Miles Prosser, Secretary-General of the International Aluminium Institute speaks to AlCircle:

AlCircle: Currently, IAI membership represents over 60% of global bauxite, alumina and aluminium production. Could you please share your views on the emergence and importance of Industry 4.0?

Mr Miles Prosser: Digital technologies are everywhere, affecting the way we live, work, travel and play. Digitalisation is helping improve the safety, productivity, accessibility and sustainability of systems and industries around the world. If adopted well, digital technologies have the potential to deliver exceptional value to various aspects of our lives.

From technologies that help companies locate deposits, to autonomous equipment and fatigue monitoring systems that protect workers, to social media that keeps the industry in close contact with various stakeholders, digitalisation can be a force for good in our industry.

We are already using technology to improve the safety, productivity, accessibility and sustainability of our operations. We’re finding new ways to use industrial waste in other applications such as in cement and concrete. We can now monitor and improve bauxite residue management. And I see this become the trend – where technology will enable the industry further its existing sustainability credentials.

Companies are also investing in new facilities fitted with state-of-the-art technologies which will enable automated monitoring and system controls with increased vertical integration along the supply chain.

Digital tools continue to transform ways in which customers buy and share their experiences in the aluminium industry. Digital channels like websites, blogs, and social platforms can be used for the buying process and to gather customer feedback. Using technology to analyse customer feedback enables companies in our industry to understand customer expectations, assist in acquiring and retaining customers and predicting and making suggestions for the consumer’s future needs.

However, as an industry, we are yet to realise the full potential of Industry 4.0. Like all sectors, the aluminium industry is on a journey and continues to invest in technologies that will improve efficiencies all round.

Digitalisation of the industry over the next decade will be a major feature in the entire value chain.

AlCircle: Do you think post-COVID-19 adoption of Industry 4.0 shall be further accelerated by companies in their business operations?

Mr Miles Prosser: In as much as nothing is certain in this pandemic, I’m sure that the next 10 years will be very different to the last and technology will increasingly be central to the industry’s recovery. From remote yet connected workforces to more digitalised processes along the chain, the pandemic is forcing people and business around the world to rethink their working and business models. In an industry where travel is seen as key, the virus has been disruptive but in the same vein has presented us with an opportunity to rethink our operations. In response to travel bans and social distancing requirements to stop the spread of the virus, we have all turned more to technology to give us a sense of normality or something close to it. Throughout this pandemic, our industry has continued to operate – thanks to Industry 4.0 for enabling distancing and contact control throughout the production processes. So what has COVID–19 changed in our industry? We’ve seen an increase in:

• conferences and trade events going virtual
• demand for increased digital marketing and communications
• sales and procurements being done online,
• virtual board meetings, staff training, team calls, and management meetings

With the success of remote operations during this pandemic, companies will find it hard not to transform the way they do business. Digitisation is here to stay.

AlCircle: Based on your experience, how impactful do you think has the adoption of Industry 4.0 been for companies associated with the aluminium industry?

Mr Miles Prosser: From using virtual and augmented reality to empowering field and remote workers in real-time, new technology has had a positive impact on the way the industry operates. The industry is leveraging algorithms and artificial intelligence to process data from across the value chain in order to make real-time decisions and to project future opportunities, but the largest benefit is yet to come. When adopted well, technology can help companies in our industry to become more responsive and resilient to challenges.

AlCircle: How do you integrate Industry 4.0 in terms of production of low carbon aluminium?

Mr Miles Prosser: Digital technologies can play an important role in enabling improvements and measurements of sustainability performances in our industry. At its optimum, digitalisation in the aluminium industry should enable seamless trading of information on the supply chain and help accountability on the industry’s carbon footprint.

New processes that significantly reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency and high-performance machines and robots will enhance the materials and energy consumptions throughout the production process.

Industry 4.0 now directly impacts all the process and manufacturing sectors. Fully integrated systems are expected to help industries such as ours to increase production efficiency and further improve our sustainability credentials. The adoption of specific technologies can help accurately measure and document the industry’s low-carbon and sustainable production footprints.

AlCircle: Do you think the adoption of Industry 4.0 has helped the aluminium smelters and plants enhance their productivity and efficiency?

Mr Miles Prosser: Many aluminium smelters are still operated manually but with technology, these processes can become more automated. Capturing, processing, and analysing digital data can allow better forecasting of process behaviour as well as smarter, easier, and faster decision making. Digitisation allows errors and defects to be easily traced back and eliminated. This can lead to more efficient production. Some areas where digitisation can be applied Include:

• Automatic pouring of hot molten in the furnaces – using an automated process or system will improve the process and make it more efficient.
• Remote-controlled robots can perform critical measurements during the smelting process in the furnaces, helping to prevent people from being put in unsafe situations.

AlCircle: How do you see the future of Industry 4.0 in the aluminium industry post-COVID-19?

Mr Miles Prosser: People and devices are also becoming connected in ever-increasing numbers. More than 4.5 billion people, more than half the global population, now use the internet. Nearly 60% of households now have internet access at home, according to Statista.

Aluminium as a metal is an enabler of this rapid digitalisation. The metal is used in many digital gadgets that keep the world connected. I see aluminium playing an ever-increasing central role in the success of this digital era. From electric cars to new mobile technology, aluminium will be enabling all of us to move and connect. Accelerated digitalisation means a more collaborative industry, global in its outlook and approach.

The application of digital technologies will allow the implementation of new processes along the entire value chain, from manufacturing and sales to services and these will, in turn, build links between customers and suppliers. As we all know, digitalisation is not simply a transfer from analogue to digital systems but rather, networking between the business processes, the creation of efficient and integrated systems. This means, if adopted well, digitalisation can provide the needed data to enable effective management of the entire supply chain

In order to achieve a successful implementation of Industry 4.0, we will need to invest in research and development (R&D) to help us choose appropriate systems to enable us realise the full potential of this new era.