WHY CONNECTORS ARE THE ENABLER OF INDUSTRY 4.0
NAZARIO BIALA, INDUSTRY SEGMENT MANAGER AUTOMATION DANIEL WOOD, INDUSTRY SEGMENT MANAGER, MACHINERY HARTING
Industry 4.0. Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Smart Factory. These aren’t just buzzwords; they are generation-defining trends that are changing manufacturing. Connectors play an important role in enabling the future of industrial automation. That raises the question: how can a single component play such a huge role in revolutionizing the entire manufacturing process? More than just a component in Industry 4.0, connectors are a fundamental building block to realizing its potential. FIRST, WHAT EXACTLY IS INDUSTRY 4.0? The term “Industry 4.0” is filled with promises: unparalleled operational efficiency, total production transparency, implementation of predictive maintenance models, and more. However, these promises are often presented as the result, without a concrete description of how to achieve it.
implanted into manufacturing processes. In 2016, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) defined four key themes for Industry 4.0: 1. Interconnection: The ability of machines, devices, people, and sensors to communicate with one another. 2. Information transparency: The ability for operators to access and utilize information gathered during all parts of the manufacturing process to identify places where efficiency could be improved. 3. Technical assistance: The ability of technology to assist people in decision making or performing unsafe tasks. 4. Decentralized decisions: The ability of cyber-physical systems to perform tasks autonomously and make decisions on their own.
Industry 4.0 refers to specific technologies
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