'BIG DATA' BOOSTS PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY FOR MANUFACTURERS

摘要

Defined loosely as the computerisation of manufacturing, Industry 4.0 promises to bring the 'Internet of Things' and 'big data' into the realm of manufacturing; it holds promise for a greater distribution of intelligence towards individual machines and components. Today, thanks to advances in both software and hardware, automation is inherently 'intelligent', and networking via Ethernet, USB or fast fieldbus is the norm even for the smallest PLC, meaning that manufacturing related information is accessible anywhere, anytime and to any authorised personnel. The latest control platforms, such as Omron's Sysmac, can act on that information at high speed, making best use of the data made visible by machines and the information transferred to and from higher-level systems, so delivering the real-time interaction required for the dynamic production lines envisaged by Industry 4.0.