Smart factories are changing the face of manufacturing. Using connected devices, intelligent insight and automated processes, organisations can produce more, and better products in less time, for less money. But does it sound too good to be true?
With customer expectations increasing, against a backdrop of rapidly advancing technologies and intensifying competition, commercial success depends on working smarter. This is particularly poignant for industries that rely on mass physical output, like manufacturing.
The brave new world of Industry 4.0 – so-called because it’s seen as the Fourth Industrial Revolution – is characterised by intelligent machines that communicate with and learn from each other, with little to no human involvement.
This is the era of smart factories, and it’s changing the way we do business.
As a physical manufacturing environment managed by virtual technologies, smart factories create exciting new possibilities for organisations across the sector.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) can drive operational and financial gains through the cloud. In this setting, we are also witnessing the rise of IIoT, the Industrial Internet of Things, which uses intelligent robotics through the production cycle.
This whitepaper explains more about what the smart factory means, how it benefits your business, and why it’s shaping the future of manufacturing.
Register for the UK’s biggest digital manufacturing show – just 4 weeks to go!
Are you looking to learn more about Smart Factories and digital manufacturing? Then don’t miss the Smart Factory Expo, taking place 15-16 November, 2017 at the Exhibition Centre Liverpool.
Organised by The Manufacturer – it is FREE to register for Smart Factory Expo, which coincides with the government’s much-anticipated Industrial Strategy and Industrial Digitalisation Review.
The Smart Factory Expo this year features:
- More than 100 Exhibitors – including: Autodesk, Cisco, Dell EMC, IBM, Innovate UK, Oracle Netsuite, Rockwell Automation, and Siemens.
- Free Factory Tours – including tours to: Jaguar Land Rover, Sensor City, Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC). Find out more.
- Dedicated Exhibition Zones – Industrial Automation, Digital Transformation, Smart Factories, and Industrial Internet.
- Free Conference Content – 90 presentations over both days from world-class manufacturers and technology experts.
- Practical Workshops – curated by the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing, with case studies from BAE Systems, Caterpillar, Rolls-Royce and more.
- Innovation Alley – lifting the lid on the UK’s manufacturing high-tech start-up scene.
- Hack and Pitch – a competition that offers an opportunity for larger manufacturing companies to engage directly with exciting new enterprises developing cutting-edge solutions around smart factories. Find out more.
