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LG unveils “human-centric” robot suit for manufacturing, logistics and distribution

Seoul-based electronics giants LG Electronics is to showcase a “human-centric” wearable robot next week at IFA 2018 in Berlin. The wearable robot will connect into a “smart working network”, said LG, to deliver information and tools required for manufacturing, logistics and distribution. LG took a...

The technology shaping the city of tomorrow (Reader Forum)

After suburban lifestyles being the norm for generations of Americans, the pendulum is beginning to swing back towards urbanism: the United Nations says 54% of the world’s population lives in urban areas today, a proportion that is expected to increase to 66% by 2050....

A smart approach to service assurance in the smart factory (Reader Forum)

Manufacturing businesses are increasingly adopting advanced digital technologies to enhance their capabilities to satisfy customer demand for the production of more high-quality products at a faster rate than ever before, Automation, for example, is employed in several applications including assembly lines, computer-aided design and manufacturing...

Eight crucial technologies to drive the digital revolution in smart manufacturing

The move to a ‘lights-out’ factory has already begun, but the developing transition requires an overhaul of industrial facilities, equipment, systems and people if it is to go the distance. Transformation of the manufacturing industry, or ‘vertical’ in service-provider parlance, must also make way...

Orange launches AI acceleration program in Silicon Valley

The new platform, dubbed Orange Fab, was launched in partnership with a group of investors and companies   French telecommunication group Orange has launched Orange Fab, a Silicon Valley acceleration program designed to identify and support early-stage startups with focus on smart connectivity. The initiative is being...

The IIoT interview: “It’s a huge breakthrough for factories,” says Cisco

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 its manufacturing IoT business,...

Manufacturers want 5G for factory automation, but there’s a gap in standards

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, connected robots--could supplant the need...

Car-makers struggling with smart factories, despite promise of 50% profit-boost

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 and technologies, it found. Consultancy...

Rockwell joins Bosch, Cisco and Schneider to develop OPC-UA comms standard

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 Instruments, Parker Hannifin, Phoenix Contact,...

Jack-of-all-trade tech providers will fail at IIoT, says automation specialist ABB

Industrial transformation companies must specialise and collaborate if they are to capitalise on the opportunities afforded by the Industry 4.0 movement, according to Swiss automation company ABB. The chorus line of companies at Hannover Messe proclaiming ‘end-to-end’ technology solutions for the digital transformation of the...

IIoT is booming, with ready solutions for slicker processes, says Siemens

Siemens has hailed the arrival of the digital enterprise as an industrial movement in full swing, with ready for slicker processes. The German manufacturing giant said at Hannover Messe the industrial IoT (IIoT) market is alive and kicking, and that companies of any size...

Bosch intros Industry 4.0 plant in China, demos 5G factory with Nokia

German manufacturer Bosch has said it will open an Industry 4.0 reference factory in Xian, in China, by 2020. The new plant will produce control systems and linear motion technology, it said. The announcement of the China initiative follows a parallel commitment to Mexico, last...

ABB and HPE intro micro-modular data centre for IIoT edge computing

Swiss engineering conglomerate ABB has partnered with US IT software provider Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and German IT hardware maker Rittal to launch a new micro-modular data centre to handle data processing at the network edge in smart factory environments. The new ‘secure edge data...

Automation doesn’t cost jobs in Germany, concludes Industry 4.0 report

Automation technologies are creating more jobs than they are destroying in Germany, according to a new report by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW). Recent investments in digital technologies, including standard automation techniques like analytics and artificial intelligence (AI), have seen a one per...

UK manufacturers falling behind Asia and US in smart factory rollout

UK manufacturers are falling behind their counterparts in Asia and the US in the international race for industrial transformation. They are also bottom of the pile for integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into manufacturing processes. These are the findings of a new study by PwC research...

ABB to invest €100m in industrial automation R&D campus in Austria

Swiss engineering conglomerate ABB is to splash €100 million on a new innovation and training campus at the home of Austria-based automation systems manufacturer B&R. It is the largest internal investment ABB has ever made in industrial automation. The new campus will develop technologies...

TRUMPF to expand North American market through smart factory

The German machine tool manufacturer recently opened a smart factory in the city of Chicago   German machine tool manufacturer and Industry 4.0 specialist TRUMPF has expanded its presence in the North American market through the opening of a smart factory in Chicago. The smart factory, which...

Cognitive manufacturing in continuous process

What shall we call it? Cognitive manufacturing? The Industrial Internet of Things? Factory Digitization? Industry 4.0? Emerson Automation Solutions calls it the Plantweb Digital Ecosystem, and Bob Karschnia, Emerson’s VP/GM Wireless, says that while each of these terms has a slightly different meaning, in...

Siemens looks to speed up industrial IoT development

Siemens will work with an Austrian university to explore industrial IoT for manufacturing Siemens has announced a cooperation agreement with an Austrian university to research how 5G technology can support manufacturing production lines equipped with industrial IoT solutions. The German company and the AIT Austrian Institute...

KT to use IoT to create smart soldiers and other tech for defense industry

The Korean telco will partner with compatriot defense firm Hanwha Systems South Korean telecom operator KT and compatriot aerospace and defense firm Hanwha Systems are set to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to start cooperation in applying internet of things (IoT) capabilities in the...

Smart manufacturing in China gets major boost with pilot projects

China's government selected 97 smart manufacturing projects last year China plans to expand its demonstration program for smart manufacturing by adding about 100 pilot projects during 2018, Chinese press reported. According to the reports, the Chinese government is making additional efforts to implement smart manufacturing...

GE signs smart factory agreement with Korean steelmaker Posco

The new smart factory platform aims to improve steel mill’s production efficiency South Korea’s largest steelmaker Posco has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with General Electric (GE) to develop a smart factory platform that is expected to improve steel mill production efficiency and prevent...

Aixtron evaluates smart manufacturing tools to improve processes

The German company has already implemented smart analysis tools to carry out an energy-saving project German company Aixtron, a provider of deposition equipment to the semiconductor industry, is in the process of evaluating the addition of certain smart manufacturing solutions in its production process, the...

Siemens to build smart manufacturing center in China

 The Chinese government is promoting the implementation of smart manufacturing practices among local companies German company Siemens announced plans to build an ‘Industry 4.0’ smart manufacturing innovation center in China. The smart manufacturing center, which will be located in Taiyuan, capital of north China's Shanxi...