Feature

In-line for an automation upgrade

Smarter, flexible and more functional, Industry 4.0-enabled automation is more accessible than you think. Phil Nicholas, General Manager of Ewellix UK Sales, dispels some myths about factory digitalisation.

30/03/2020 15:20:37

Font size:

There is a digital revolution underway in manufacturing. When companies think about their digital strategies, it is easy to get caught up in the complexity. Factory managers worry that they will have to rip out
their existing infrastructure and start again from scratch. Or they think that they will need to add layers of additional hardware and software to handle communications and data analysis.

There’s plenty of evidence that big Industry
4.0 projects can deliver significant benefits, but there’s another way to think about digitalisation in the factory environment. Industry 4.0 also makes it cheaper and easier for companies to introduce new, digitally enabled approaches from
the ground up – improving the performance and flexibility of the machines they already use and automating a wider range of tasks. In fact, “front-line” applications of new digital approaches are likely to be one of
the fastest-growing areas of industrial technology, with the global market for factory automation products forecast to grow at an annual rate of 9 percent over the next five years.

Read the full article in the April issue of DPA.

Written By Sophia Bell

Sophia Bell is the Group Editor of DPA, Connectivity, and PBSI. She joined the team in 2020 as Assistant Editor after achieving a First-Class Honours BA in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. In her current role, she leads the editorial strategy, driving digital growth and ensuring each title continues to deliver trusted, relevant insight for engineering and manufacturing professionals.