How will smart machines shape the future of automation?
How will smart machines shape the future of automation?
Powered by smart machines, the new emerging technological trends are changing how machine builders design and manufacturers will operate in the future. The term “smart machine” implies a machine that is better connected, more flexible, more efficient and safe. Production machines are expected to incorporate more intelligence to improve response to predictive planning and more flexible business needs. Smart machine development is influenced by three principal drivers: technology, consumer market trends, and end-user demands.
New white paper from Schneider Electric
To remain competitive and profitable, plants and machines must be smarter – better connected, more efficient, more flexible and safe. In a white paper entitled “Understanding Smart Machines: How They Will Shape the Future”, Schneider Electric examines the impact of smart machines on the industrial automation and controls business, and provides guidance for adapting to a changing industrial landscape.
Two trends creating a lot of interest today are Industry 4.0, the German based approach for smart manufacturing, and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) with a focus on connected devices and analytics. These trends and their underlying technologies are impacting a broad range of industrial sectors – from building automation, transportation, medical, military, security and retail. The focus of the white paper however is on how industrial automation and machinery will be impacted.
Industry 4.0 and IIoT
There are some obvious similarities and differences between IIoT and smart manufacturing (Industry 4.0). Industry 4.0 initiatives are focused on manufacturing flexibility, increasing automation levels, and digitization and is an evolution, rather than revolution. Over time, it will reshape complete factories and the way they operate. They will require embracing a multitude of technologies and ideas which will have a massive impact on end-users and OEMs. This will take some time and IIoT, with all its connected devices, will act as a key enabler.
Impact on OEMs and end-users
Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and end-users can leverage IIoT to better monitor and control machinery. Within industrial environments, some devices today are connected, but many are not. IIoT applications will include not only machine-to-machine (M2M) communication but also machine-to-people, people-to-machine, machine-to-objects, and people-to-objects communication. These connections enable the ability to collect data from a broad range of devices and applications. This “big data” can then be accessed via the cloud and analysed using sophisticated analytics tools.
IIoT initiatives are also converging with some of the Industry 4.0 momentum that is influencing stakeholders. The basis for both market trends is to enhance networked resources so that distributed intelligence can lead to improved visibility and management of production. To benefit from the potential that now exists for the development of new levels of operational intelligence, industries will need to migrate to a plant infrastructure that enables the exploitation of these new capabilities. This is where the next generation of machines – the “smart machines” – enters the picture.
Go here to download the white paper
Recent blog posts