The Promise Of NFC For Industry 4.0


There have been several points, in the history of manufacturing, when technology has truly revolutionized the way products are made. In the early part of the 20th century, the steam engine and electrification led to mass production, and in the 1970s, when robotics, computers, and other types of automation came on the scene, productivity got another big boost. Since then, though, technology has ... » read more

Challenges For The IIoT


Unlike the [getkc id="76" comment="Internet of Things"], which is largely still a collection of connected devices that don't always play well together, the Industrial Internet of Things ([getkc id="78" kc_name="IIoT"]) already is in heavy use and growing across a number of markets well outside of the usual markets associated with semiconductors. A Morgan Stanley "blue paper" report issued la... » read more

What NFC Means For Smart Factories, Intelligent Supply Chains And Industry 4.0


There is a growing trend, in today's factories, to use innovations like smart objects, autonomous production, and access to the cloud to support customization on a large scale and manufacture products in close to real time. This trend, which is seen to be part of the fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0, is accelerated by the use of wireless technologies, including Near Field Communica... » read more

Blog Review: Jan. 14


Ansys' Bill Vandermark flags the top five engineering technology articles for the week, leaning heavily on CES. The 3D scanner is intriguing because of the link to 3D printing. Mentor's Robin Bornoff returns to the drawing board to design a better water heater. Unfortunately, you probably won't be able to find one of these in your local Home Depot—ever. eSilicon's Jack Harding defines w... » read more

The Other IoT


What happens in the home, in the car, or in the tiny electronic devices people carry around with them or wear on their wrists or implant in their bodies is the focus of marketing by thousands of companies all over the globe. After all, the Internet of Things, in some shape or form, is widely expected to the "next big thing," or at least provide the foundation for many next big things. Far le... » read more

Talking Machines: NFC On The Factory Floor


The emergence of smart manufacturing facilities – what some term the fourth industrial revolution, or Industrial 4.0 – is creating a new level of automation in the factory, with intelligent object networking, independent process manufacturing, and frequent use of interactions between the real and virtual worlds. These trends are changing how manufacturers manage their production networks, a... » read more

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