Manufacturers are now embracing the move to the digitization of their production processes. Many initial project goals are very narrowly focused around removing manpower, manual errors, and running 24/7 to improve total output. These are all worthy goals for sure. Yet, this approach leaves many facets in their overall process often overlooked. There are critical questions that must be asked.

The Internet of Things (IoT) and, in a broader sense, the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) is the omnipresent new paradigm in manufacturing today, profoundly affecting the way manufacturers are operating or are planning to operate.

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) continues to gain in popularity as manufacturing teams seek to quantify plant and machine-level performance to find ways each area can be improved and keep production lines running at peak efficiency.

When wireless is perfectly applied the whole earth will be converted into a huge brain, which in fact it is, all things being particles of a real and rhythmic whole.” – Nikola Tesla (1926)

SPRING Technologies, a provider of software to increase the productivity of machine tools, announces its acquisition by Hexagon AB. SPRING Technologies’ NCSIMUL Solutions are in use at major OEMs and suppliers worldwide, helping streamline the manufacturing process through the optimization of machine tool performance and productivity.

Industrial robots are expected to be the focus for investment in factory automation.

OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) charts are among new features in the just-released version 8.3 of Hertzler Systems’ GainSeeker® Suite SPC software.