Rethinking pneumatic technology for the factories of the future

摘要

Times are changing in the manufacturing sector - and fast. Widespread digi-talisation has helped usher in the era of Industry 4.0, where automation and data exchange combine to provide real-time insight into the performance of equipment. In this brave new world, based on concepts such as the Industrial Internet of Things (lloT), digital networks are key. They provide the 'eyes and ears' of real-time data processing, enabling factory managers to make informed decisions that can help increase uptime and availability of assets in the pursuit of improved Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). As manufacturing continues this rapid journey to digitalisation, one must wonder what will become of conventional technologies that have been around for a long time. Take pneumatics, for example, which remains based on the age-old principle of controlling compressed air through tubes. Can this technology play a central role in the flexible and smart production lines of factories of the future?