Issue link: https://resources.mouser.com/i/1437663
mouser.com/amphenol 17 Although data is key in deriving insights from data, highly dense, feature-full connectivity has taken a leading role in helping traditional manufacturing environments transition to automated and autonomous processes. This article explores current trends in manufacturing design and highlights what's to come in manufacturing design. Smart Manufacturing: Design Challenges Smart manufacturing is all about reaping the benefits of real-time data to make processes as efficient, safe, and consistent as possible. Industry 3.0-era manufacturing environments use data to analyze process efficiency, control robotics, and so forth. Data collected, analyzed, and acted on in real time, however, offers enormous potential for manufacturers to provide flexible, customizable production solutions; maximize efficiency; and adapt to changing needs. Today's manufacturing environments are adding automation and intelligence throughout the production process, often piecemeal because of the planning resources required and the challenges inherent in designing for manufacturing environments. Designing for Harsh Environments Manufacturing environments are inherently dirty, moist, noisy, vibrating, gyrating, chemically caustic, hot, or cold. In fact, they typically include some combination of harsh elements. These factors can affect system performance, maintenance needs, and lifespan, and they relate to human health and safety, as well. Collecting and Processing Data Identifying the right kinds of data to collect and at what points in the process is an enormous undertaking. Collecting and processing data can require that hundreds of thousands or even millions of sensors and processing devices be added to the environment and equipment. Sensors create enormous amounts of high-speed data that then needs to be exchanged across numerous devices and interfaces. Enabling Reliable Connectivity on Low-Power Devices Automation and intelligence depend not just on the devices but on connectivity. Connectivity is quite literally the digital thread that connects all the pieces: the components, devices, systems, subtasks, tasks, processes, robotics, data, analytics, adjustments, and humans in the loop. Every interface is a transition point that can facilitate large quantities of data, high speeds, and stable signal quality—or that can slow or halt data transmission—and do so reliably and without reducing signal quality. Data volume, speed, and quality are interrelated, and in many solutions, one of these is often sacrificed. In manufacturing environments, devices and systems must reliably accommodate all three. These devices and systems must be low power, and power design should not increase physical space requirements or add to the load on existing wires. " Manufacturing environments have made headway toward this goal by digitizing machinery, connecting infrastructure, expanding the use of robotics, and applying artificial intelligence (AI) to processes."