Smart Factory

We live in a world of continuous digital transformation. One technology obsoletes another, and the pattern repeats itself. For example, the invention of email has displaced the fax technology. Today we see another digital transformation caused by the industrial Internet-of-Things …

The emergence of the OPC UA TSN communications stack, backed by a loose-knit consortium of automation specialists, is a key part of the developing industrial IoT narrative, with halting technological innovation and industrial transformation set to be kick-started by its …

The OPC Foundation has said security vulnerabilities found by Kaspersky Labs in its OPC-UA framework, designed for secure data transfer between clients and servers in industrial systems, were in fact discovered in outdated versions of the OPC UA protocol. Reviewing …

Manufacturers should treble their money on digital transformation, at least, reckons Greg Kinsey, vice president of Hitachi Vantara. If the digital ROI does not stack up, before starting out, then they should down tools, and start over. If the it does, …

  The use of software as a service (SaaS) and infrastructure as a service (IaaS) is well established in the enterprise data center. Now, industrial organizations are beginning to make tentative steps to XaaS offerings for their operational computing. However, …

Analyst house Gartner has put the leading IIoT platforms through their paces, and named the best in the business. Here, Enterprise IoT Insights reviews the Gartner review, and orders the results, to summarise the best industrial IoT platforms available to …

The industrial ‘internet of things’ (IoT) market is geographically skewed, reckons one of its leading protagonists. Greg Kinsey, vice president of Japan-based Hitachi’s Vantara business, says the US is way behind, fixated on sensors in factories, while European countries rewrite …

A great number of enterprise IoT projects remain stuck in pilots, put aside for another day. Before they even start, the challenge is how to make money from, at least to cover the initial investment and take a first giant …

PTC, Hitachi and SAP have come top of Gartner’s inaugural ‘magic quadrant’ for IIoT platforms, ahead of IBM, Software AG and Accenture. But the analyst house warned also that major challenges remain for IoT providers in the industrial space, including …

“There are three ways to be smart in manufacturing,” says Michael Yost, president of manufacturing association MESA International. Three, it seems, is the magic number when it comes to categorising smartness in manufacturing. “When we talk about the digital transformation …

Customers using Samsung’s ARTIK IoT platform for manufacturing, remote asset monitoring and smart buildings Smart factories, intelligent buildings and asset managers are currently using Samsung Electronics’ ARTIK IoT solutions to achieve return of investment through improved operational productivity, the South …

The ‘internet of things’ (IoT) market is moving towards new value-based and event-based pricing, led by smart cities and industrial operatives, according to Cisco. Until now, device-as-a-service, and latterly anonymised data sharing with third-parties, have thrived as business models in …

Revenues from internet-of-things (IoT) device management will top $20.5 billion within five years, with 70 per cent coming in the industrial, automotive, and telematics sectors, according to ABI Research. Revenues from device management services – including device provisioning, software and …

Cisco appears to have found its rhythm in the enterprise IoT space by integrating communications technologies and data streams in its Kinetic platform for smart factories and smart cities. Enterprise IoT Insights caught up with Bryan Tantzen, in charge of …

Dell Technologies and Microsoft have launched an integrated ‘internet of things’ (IoT) offering to simplify management, enhance security and reduce the cost of edge devices in industrial settings. The solution is targeted at predictive maintenance and supply chain monitoring, among …

Three quarters of enterprise-based ‘internet of things’ (IoT) projects are failing, reckons US networking specialist Cisco. This is an alarming statistic, especially when considered in the context of the head-spinning growth of new IoT deployments. Analyst house IDC calculates the …

Rolls-Royce has signed a deal with the Hasso Plattner Institute, a finishing school for digital engineering in Germany, to enhance the British engine maker’s capabilities in artificial intelligence (AI) and data security. The pair signed a memorandum of understanding at …

Ultra reliability and low latency of 5G a major enabler of factory automation, robotics and other industrial use cases With the right technological stack in place, manufacturers could eventually operate what’s called a “lights-out” facility wherein factory automation solutions–think smart, …

The state of Nuevo León in northern Mexico contributes eight per cent of the nation’s GDP with only four per cent of its population, according to the state government. It is also on the receiving end of the most foreign …

Among the showier turns at Hannover Messe in Germany last week, the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) lifted the hood on its innovations, providing a glimpse of the application of Industry 4.0 artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. Germany spent almost €89 …

Leading automotive manufacturers can expect to realise a remarkable 50 per cent jump in operating profits within five years of implementing a full smart factory set-up, according to new research. But car makers are so far struggling with the concept …

Completely securing the industrial ‘internet of things’ (IIoT) is hopeful at best, according to companies and analysts at Hannover Messe last week. The Germany-based industrial fair was focused on connecting factories and supply chains; the process to secure new devices …

Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, could be making its debut in space in the next two to three years, according to Germany’s Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM). During Hannover Messe 2018, BAM presented how astronauts …

US firm Rockwell Automation is heading a team of industrial automation specialists and solution providers to create a new communication solution based on the OPC-UA protocol for real-time and sensor-to-cloud applications. ABB, Belden, Bosch Rexroth, B&R, Cisco, Hilscher, KUKA, National …

Mexico’s is a fertile manufacturing economy that is ripe for automation, and primed for inward industrial investment. That was its message at Industry 4.0 trade fair Hannover Messe last week, as the nation prepares to go to the polls to …