It is apparent that efficient solutions involving increased networking and intelligence of the systems will need to be found in order to deal with the increasing complexity associated with the demands of Industry 4.0. [ + ]

The so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution is promising enormous advantages in plant and asset reliability and uptime by making it possible to predict the future condition of assets before they fail. [ + ]

The need to improve productivity is a continual demand on any business and there are a myriad number of ways to achieve it. In a manufacturing environment, maximising machinery availability is a key element in the equation. [ + ]

The development of the digital oilfield promises new and more efficient ways of doing business for oil and gas companies, but at the same time exposes them to serious risk of cyber attack. [ + ]

Engineers must look beyond ISO standards when developing and implementing industrial solutions. [ + ]

Andy Kennard of Emerson Automation Solutions reflects on the advantages that the newer generations can bring to your business. [ + ]

Wireless networks have been creeping into process plants, factories and utilities for some time now — the convenience and efficiencies they provide being obvious, but the cybersecurity risks must be managed well. [ + ]

Industry 4.0 brings significantly enhanced reliability, cost-optimised servicing, longer system service life and assured specific power for compressed air users. [ + ]

While enabling unprecedented performance in electric motors and delivering dramatic energy savings, most VSDs rely on conditioning voltage and frequency, causing inherent time delays in processing control signals. In contrast, direct torque control (DTC) drives greatly increase motor torque response, among other benefits. [ + ]

EU directives on the serialisation of pharmaceutical products come into effect over the next three years and will affect the way manufacturers label and package their products. [ + ]

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is being driven mainly by five trends that have gained significant importance within our rapidly changing industrial environment. [ + ]

Wireless networks have been creeping into process plants, factories and utilities for some time now, the convenience and efficiencies they provide being obvious, but the cybersecurity risks must be managed well. [ + ]

Implementing Industry 4.0 in your organisation means beginning with a strategy that is appropriate for your needs and that can be adapted as technology and needs change. [ + ]

In Australia the approach to Industry 4.0 has been somewhat more disjointed than in Germany, with a large reliance on Industry 4.0 technology being mainly promoted by individual Germany-based vendors or suppliers. Individual manufacturing companies are tending to go it alone, keeping technology providers at arm's length and not truly leveraging the global collective knowledge on I4.0. [ + ]

Innovation is, of course, partly about technology. But it is also about massive improvements in productivity through the empowerment of a business's only uncapped resource: its people. [ + ]