The concept of the smart factory has been steadily evolving over the past few years as its moves towards the goal of providing harmonious communication between shop-floor devices and enterprise-wide management systems. Ultimately, the ambition is to ensure productivity and quality are maximised, from quotation and order, to manufacturing and dispatch. Such a transition also provides the perfect opportunity to address a sometimes overlooked aspect of smart factory operations: energy efficiency.

Editorial by Steed WEBZELL.

IMTS - The International Manufacturing Technology Show, scheduled for September 14-19, 2020 had to be cancelled.

Europe has taken an early lead when it comes to implementing Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) or Industrie 4.0 as the Germans prefer to call it, with companies having invested in IoT technologies at higher levels than their US counterparts. The latest update to the Worldwide Semiannual Internet of Things Spending Guide from International Data Corporation (IDC) forecasts total spending on IoT solutions in Europe to increase by 19.8% year on year to reach $171 billion in 2019. Of this, the share of discrete manufacturing is $20 billion, which can be attributed to IIoT.

Here at ELeather, we believe that too many of the world’s limited resources are being unnecessarily wasted. By using a natural product that would otherwise be sent to landfills, we are evolving leather to become a more responsible, desirable and performance-driven material – engineered leather.

Schaltbau Machine Electrics have recently invested in a new optical measuring system to improve productivity and quality, particularly for parts used in the latest C310 AC & bidirectional DC contactors.

Allianz pro Schiene, the German Pro-Rail Alliance, has issued an award for a world premiere: hydrogen refuelling stations for trains.

Klas Telecom today announced that, together with their French partner Seolane Innovation, they have entered into an agreement with France’s national rail operator, SNCF to supply the TRX R6 Connected Transportation Platform for implementation on board SNCF’s trains. This agreement comes as the result of a highly competitive public tender in which SNCF sought to acquire an onboard connectivity solution to provide improved operational and passenger-centric services

The new D56 door control unit is designed and built to purpose of controlling electrical internal doors in trains.

Schaltbau supply train electrics to companies including Bombardier, Siemens, Hitachi, Rotem, PESA & Kawasaki for use worldwide in urban transportation and main-line rail vehicles, providing maximum safety, reliability and long life.