State of art review on sustainable manufacturing and Industry 4.0

Abstract

Industry 4.0 refers to a set of technologies that facilitate the development of value chain, resulting in shorter lead times, higher quality products and better organisational performance. These innovative smart technologies have the potential to address widespread sustainability concerns, while having the capacity to enhance production, and can morally impact sustainable development. Recently, manufacturing sector has vital influence on environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability, owing to their substantial demands on energy, water, materials and other resources. The goal of this study is to analyse sustainable manufacturing and Industry 4.0 (I4.0) research studies with an emphasis on manufacturing domain. To clarify how these revolutionary technologies might affect sustainability of manufacturing industries, systematic literature review (SLR) of prior studies on sustainable manufacturing and I4.0 featuring from its conception to performance measures was done. To conduct the review, literature search was directed using SCOPUS and Web of Science databases. A total of 442 articles that were published in reputed journals between 2009 and 2022 were shortlisted for comprehensive review. The study conclusions gave vital information on several viewpoints of sustainable I4.0 in manufacturing organisation. A conceptual framework with five layers based on SLR was established to direct and aid manufacturing industries towards sustainable I4.0 implementation. The framework supports manufacturing sector to focus on sustainable I4.0 for sustainable economic value creation and development using digital technologies.