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3 | 3 | FOREWORD FOREWORD FLEXIBILITY: A CRUCIAL FACTOR IN TODAY'S ROBOTICS The applications for state-of-the-art industrial robots are growing all the time. From automotive and aircraft construction to the medical and pharmaceutical industry, logistics and metal or plastics processing—the latest generation of industrial robots can handle ever more complex tasks in a whole range of different environments. By Ricardo Hernandez, Industry Sales Manager at TE Connectivity Ricardo Hernandez Industry Sales Manager, Motion Control & Robotics, TE | 3 | A CHANGING NEED Industrial production today is shaped by a market that is changing at an unprecedented rate. Growing demand for personalized products, a never-ending stream of new market requirements and the need for consistently high product quality at mass customization make the use of highly advanced production systems a must. Industrial robots provide the basis for flexible production. Robotic systems can be adapted to production processes with ever greater complexity and precision. The range of applications they handle is also expanding. After all, robots can be used in hazardous environments and manufacturing processes. INDUSTRIAL INTERNET OF THINGS From design, construction, operation, and use of robots, to computer systems for their control, sensory feedback, and information processing–robotics are linked to the deployment of Internet of Things (IoT) in industries to modernize manufacturing processes, known as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). IIoT incorporates machine learning, Big Data technology, and machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, adopting the sensor data and automation technologies that already exist in the industries. IIoT helps to improve visibility, operational efficiency, increases productivity, and reduces complexity in the process. FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS The number of robots will continue to grow at an unprecedented pace. Developments in autonomous vehicles are one key example. But there is more. From robots that will interact with consumers to independently operating drones, the list is endless. We will certainly see an increase in the use of so-called co-bots, robots that work directly with humans–as opposed to robots being separate. This means that co-bots must monitor their work and the work environment to prevent injuries to human "co-workers". And what will all this bring? Apart from greater flexibility and higher productivity, there will be reductions in production process complexity and human errors–and probably a reduction in costs, which in turn will help to offset increasing labor costs. LONG-TERM VISION The long-term vision is robots will be producing robots. To enable this vision, new technologies will need to be applied in automation systems. The key challenge is to design robots that can adapt to the environment and can self-optimize. This requires increased penetration of sensors, connectivity of these sensors, and advanced processing of the sensor information that is generated. There will be an increasing need for reliable Ethernet communication and new Ethernet connectivity solutions, need to integrate sensors everywhere, and intelligence at the connector level to enhance data granularity and system performance. INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR ENHANCED CONNECTIVITY The rising levels of automation and decentralization of industrial production present major challenges: Long operating times, optimized energy efficiency, and lower costs. Industrial production needs to improve: Increased reliability, flexibility, adaptability and decentralization, more automation, and smarter connections. TE Connectivity (TE) designs and manufactures solutions that connect and protect the flow of power, data, and signal in every aspect of our lives. In the industrial environment, we focus on creating innovative solutions for enhanced connectivity. From the PCB level to the production line, in the toughest production conditions anywhere in the world. For more than 75 years, TE has partnered with customers to produce highly engineered connectivity and sensing products that make a connected world possible. Our focus on reliability and durability, our commitment to progress, and the unmatched range of our product portfolio enables companies large and small to turn ideas into technology that can transform how the world works and lives tomorrow. n

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