A Decade of Research on Polymer Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 Integration: A Comprehensive Bibliometric Review of Industry

Year : 2026 | Volume : 14 | Special Issue 01 | Page : 1897 1905
    By

    M. Vasavi,

  • T. Prem chander,

  • P. Sushmai,

  • A. Lakshmi Bai,

  1. Senior Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, CVR College of Engineering, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
  2. Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Matrusri Engineering College, Saidabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
  3. Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Matrusri Engineering College, Saidabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
  4. Senior Lecturer, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Smt. Durgabai Deshmukh Government Women’s Technical Training Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India

Abstract

The advent of Industry 4.0 has brought a transformative revolution to the manufacturing sector by integrating advanced polymer technologies with intelligent, interconnected, and data-driven production systems. These developments have significantly reshaped industrial operations by improving efficiency, enhancing production flexibility, and enabling innovative manufacturing practices. Smart polymer processing, supported by automation, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), and real-time data analytics, allows manufacturers to optimize resource utilization, reduce waste, and achieve higher levels of product customization. Over the past two decades, there has been a remarkable increase in scholarly attention toward this interdisciplinary domain, reflecting its growing academic and industrial relevance across materials science, engineering, and digital manufacturing disciplines.

The present study offers a comprehensive evaluation of the existing literature on polymer manufacturing within the context of Industry 4.0, covering research publications available up to August 2025. A systematic and structured search strategy resulted in the identification of 1,485 relevant studies, which were subsequently analyzed using advanced bibliometric tools, including R programming and VOS viewer. These analytical techniques enabled the extraction of meaningful insights related to publication trends, collaborative networks, influential authors, leading institutions, and emerging research themes within the domain.

The findings reveal a rapid expansion of research activity, highlighting the increasing global interest in smart polymer manufacturing systems. In addition to quantitative bibliometric analysis, the study also examines theoretical advancements and practical implications for industrial implementation. Furthermore, it identifies existing research gaps, discusses methodological limitations, and outlines potential future research directions aimed at enhancing sustainability, scalability, and technological integration in polymer-based manufacturing under the Industry 4.0 paradigm.

Keywords: Bibliometric Analysis, R programming, VOS viewer, Trends, Authors, universities

[This article belongs to Special Issue under section in Journal of Polymer & Composites (jopc)]

How to cite this article:
M. Vasavi, T. Prem chander, P. Sushmai, A. Lakshmi Bai. A Decade of Research on Polymer Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 Integration: A Comprehensive Bibliometric Review of Industry. Journal of Polymer & Composites. 2026; 14(01):1897-1905.
How to cite this URL:
M. Vasavi, T. Prem chander, P. Sushmai, A. Lakshmi Bai. A Decade of Research on Polymer Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 Integration: A Comprehensive Bibliometric Review of Industry. Journal of Polymer & Composites. 2026; 14(01):1897-1905. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/jopc/article=2026/view=239175


Browse Figures

References

  1. International Organization for Standardization. (2021). ISO 23247-1: Digital twin framework for manufacturing—Overview and general principles. ISO.Kagermann, H., Wahlster, W., & Helbig, J. (2013). Recommendations for implementing the strategic initiative INDUSTRIE 4.0. acatech.
  2. Khan, A., Javaid, N., & Rehman, A. (2023). Digital twin-driven polymer manufacturing: A review of integration challenges and solutions. Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 68(2), 75–89.
  3. Lee, J., Bagheri, B., & Kao, H. A. (2015). A cyber-physical systems architecture for Industry 4.0-based manufacturing systems. Manufacturing Letters, 3(1), 18–23.
  4. Lin, S. W., Miller, B., Durand, J., & Joshi, A. (2017). The Industrial Internet Reference Architecture. Industrial Internet Consortium.
  5. Lu, Y. (2017). Industry 4.0: A survey on technologies, applications, and open research issues. Journal of Industrial Information Integration, 6, 1–10.
  6. Moeuf, A., Pellerin, R., Lamouri, S., Tamayo-Giraldo, S., & Barbaray, R. (2020). The industrial management of SMEs in the era of Industry 4.0. International Journal of Production Research, 58(6), 1523–1542.OPC Foundation. (2023). OPC Unified Architecture—Release 15. OPC Foundation.
  7. Otto, B., Lohmann, S., & Steinbuß, S. (2021). Data sovereignty in Industry 4.0: Principles and challenges. Business & Information Systems Engineering, 63(5), 407–421.
  8. Qi, Q., & Tao, F. (2018). Digital twin and big data towards polymer manufacturing and Industry 4.0: 360° comparison. Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 48, 210–219.Rojas, R., Rauch, E., & Matt, D. T. (2017). Integration of legacy systems in Industry 4.0: A review. Procedia Manufacturing, 11, 1119–1126.
  9. Schweichhart, K. (2016). Reference Architectural Model Industrie 4.0 (RAMI 4.0). Plattform Industrie 4.0. Sjödin, D., Parida, V., Leksell, M., & Petrovic, A. (2021). Polymer factory implementation and integration: A socio-technical perspective. Journal of Business Research, 131, 311–320.
  10. Wollschlaeger, M., Sauter, T., & Jasperneite, J. (2017). The future of industrial communication: Automation networks in the era of the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0. IEEE Industrial Electronics Magazine, 11(1), 17–27.
  11. Palaniappan, M., Palanisamy, S., Murugesan, T., Tadepalli, S., Khan, R., Ataya, S., and Santulli, C. (2024). “Influence of washing with sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) surfactant on different properties of ramie fibres,”BioResources 19(2), 2609-2625.
  12. Ramasubbu, R., Kayambu, A., Palanisamy, S., and Ayrilmis, N. (2024). “Mechanical properties of epoxy composites reinforced with Areca catechu fibers containing silicon carbide,”BioResources 19(2), 2353-2370.
  13. Ayrilmis N, Kanat G, Yildiz Avsar E, Palanisamy S, Ashori A. Utilizing waste manhole covers and fibreboard as reinforcing fillers for thermoplastic composites. Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites. 2024;44(17-18):1108-1118. doi:1177/07316844241238507
  14. Improving performance of composites: Natural and synthetic fibre hybridisation techniques in composite materials – A review, Author links open overlay panelBhuvaneshwaran Mylsamy , Karthik Aruchamy
  15. Experimental Analysis and Design Proposal of Banana Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites and Computer Analysis, Saipogu Lalitha, T. Prem Chander, M. Vasavi,, https://doi.org/10.37591/JOPC.v13i06.233979.
Special Issue Subscription Original Research
Volume 14
Special Issue 01
Received 14/02/2026
Accepted 05/03/2026
Published 25/03/2026
Publication Time 39 Days
49

Login


My IP

PlumX Metrics