We often take supply chains for granted, but the recent pandemic has highlighted the need for greater resilience. The supply chain is an integral part of business and not for dismissal as someone else’s…
Connectivity News & Insights
Can SCADA become an enabler for IT/OT connectivity?
Within manufacturing organisations, demand is growing for improved IT/OT connectivity. Operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) functions have long coexisted and cooperated. The focus for IT being on front-end business systems, information processing,…
5G in Automation may not be what you think
5G accesses previously unused frequency spectrums to increase capacity and remove bandwidth limitations. It will be a game-changer in the world of mobile communications. For consumers, it will allow high-speed streaming of video, better…
Manufacturing Data: How to harness it quickly
Industry 4.0 promises to bring manufacturing to the next level by creating ever more efficient processes. But none of this can happen without a network system that ensures timely delivery of manufacturing data to…
M262 Controller bolsters IIoT for Performance Machines
Flagship factories aside, most manufacturers are likely to take a phased approach to in introduce IIoT or Industry 4.0. The M262 controller from Schneider Electric was introduced for making the transition to smart automation…
The Changing Role of the Industrial Control Engineer
Industrial control technology has evolved at a manageable pace over last twenty years, but that time has come to an end. Producers recognising the benefits of new technologies want to capitalise on new forms…
Mitsubishi Releases FX5U Micro PLC for Smart Machines
Describing its new FX5UC controller a micro PLC risks its dismissal by users of so called proper PLCs. However, in doing so, they seriously risks undervaluing this new generation micro PLC from Mitsubishi Electric….
Securing IIoT Deployments is Critical
Connectivity is at the heart of Industry 4.0 and IIoT implementations, and securing IIoT deployments from cyber-attacks is critical to this. A successful cyber-attack on an IIoT system can result in the loss of…
Addressing Edge Data Centre Cybersecurity
For Schneider Electric, connectivity is central to the adoption of its EcoStruxure IT platform, whose integrity results from continuous dynamic vulnerability scanning. In a recent blog, they consider the importance of edge…
Phoenix Contact joins growing CC-Link IE TSN Support
Mitsubishi Electric is releasing its first 102 factory automation products compatible with the CC-Link IE TSN next-generation industrial open network. Increasingly, many third-party makers are also joining them. Phoenix…
IT-systems/IIoT Changing Industrial Network Market
According to the latest HMS Networks survey, industrial network markets are reflecting the need for integration between factory installations and IT-systems/IIoT applications. Market information is important not only for product marketer,…
How do XIOT Cloud Connected Sensors work?
One of the unusual features of Telemecanique Sensors self-powered XIOT cloud connected sensors is they work outside of buildings. Indoor wireless sensor applications are not new, but now users can use them outdoors with…
EcoStruxure Machine Expert: Intuitive Automation
EcoStruxure is the Schneider Electric open IoT systems to help organisations compete in the coming digital economy. Within EcoStruxure, Machine Expert is an intuitive software solution for simplifying machine automation. It provides all the…
Effective Water Management & Processing
Reducing costs is a strong driving force behind any investment in the water management and processing industry. Mitsubishi Electric’s life-cycle management solution specifically supports efficiencies by reducing management complexity. Markedly, it addresses both current…
Cybersecurity in UK Manufacturing: IT and OT Convergence
Cybersecurity in UK manufacturing is already an issue. Cyber attacks are becoming more prevalent and increasingly sophisticated. Attackers may find a backdoor into your system months before anyone realises-if they ever do. Identification may…
Secomea Secure Remote Access: Cross-Sector & Industry Leading
Be it new build machines for manufacturing or for public utilities, unquestionably, remote access is essential. Secomea is leading supplier of secure remote access solutions. Moreover, they work across almost every sector…
Manufacturing Automation: Key to Improved Efficiency & Performance
When thinking about advanced factory automation the first places that come to mind are invariably car plants. Images are of robot assembly lines, relatively few people and widespread use of AGVs. However, achieving this…
EcoStruxure for Industry: A New Offering
EcoStruxure is a Schneider Electric’s open IoT system that helps industry compete in the modern digital economy. It offers customised architectures across multiple industries where they have expertise and experience. Markedly, EcoStruxure for Industry…
Towards Utopian Factories with Immersive Technologies
If you are in manufacturing, you know change is heading your way: or at least the possibility of change. Perhaps visions of factories populated by autonomous vehicles delivering parts and sub-assemblies across the shop…
IIoT Controller Hardware offers Profit from Industry 4.0
For manufacturers investing in IIoT or Industry 4.0, the challenge is to improve automation in a way that improves the bottom line. Most of the control strategies employed today evolved in response to a…