-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueBox Build
One trend is to add box build and final assembly to your product offering. In this issue, we explore the opportunities and risks of adding system assembly to your service portfolio.
IPC APEX EXPO 2024 Pre-show
This month’s issue devotes its pages to a comprehensive preview of the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event. Whether your role is technical or business, if you're new-to-the-industry or seasoned veteran, you'll find value throughout this program.
Boost Your Sales
Every part of your business can be evaluated as a process, including your sales funnel. Optimizing your selling process requires a coordinated effort between marketing and sales. In this issue, industry experts in marketing and sales offer their best advice on how to boost your sales efforts.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
The Year of IoT Digitalization
December 15, 2017 | Michael Ford, Aegis Software Corp.Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Around this time last year, many people, including myself, were quite confident that 2017 would be the year of shop-floor IoT communication. While progress in many areas has been strong, 2018 is now looking like a more realistic contender for practical application of IoT in manufacturing, but, it all depends on you.
There have been some very important lessons learned and progress made in 2017. There is, for example, no longer any significant disagreement that having an industry-wide standard for IoT communication is absolutely essential for digitalization of factories if they are going to deliver on Industry 4.0 performance expectations. The business perspective of Industry 4.0 is now understood by many more people, understanding how the technology will deliver business benefits and opportunities. Seeing how Industry 4.0 solutions exist in layers, bringing as much benefit, for example, to individual machine vendors as well as customers and solution providers, has gained significant traction. Seeing how the Smart Industry 4.0 digitalized communication platform can and will be based on a free and open standard, the Connected Factory Initiative (CFX) from IPC, supported by a consensus of over 100 companies and counting, brings optimism.
In a year's time, I want the industry to look back and see that all the hype, concern, complexity, risk and cost of IoT technology will instead be experienced as simple, inexpensive and open to all. The barriers that have held us back for a generation in the industry will be history.
While this is all very optimistic, yet realistically based on the fact that everything is now in place to make it happen from the technology point of view, there are still pockets of entrenched reluctance in the industry to get involved. Machine vendors, manufacturers of all sizes, shapes, industry tiers and segments will need to put themselves forward to help create the critical mass of adoption that will take.
Those who have been active contributors to the CFX specification to date find themselves in the ideal position to go forward as we collate the multitude of needs and wants from the industry. Even more importantly, all companies in the industry are invited to step up and support CFX from early in the New Year. Seeing the open specification, providing feedback if desired, but mainly stating 'we will adopt and support the IPC CFX standard' is very important for the industry. The IPC is a consensus-based organization. There is no other medium in the industry that gives everyone a voice, and creates something that is genuinely intended to bring value opportunity to everyone, without contracts, licenses or restrictions. Anyone reading this blog has the opportunity to be a part of this voice of the industry, and show leadership. Please don't waste this opportunity.
Being a recognized CFX supporter does not necessarily imply exclusivity, there is room for solutions with differing scopes with associated strengths and limitations. Companies recognized as industry leaders with values based on real customer needs, such as those behind the recently announced Hermes communication standard for example, are very clear that their technology innovations are positioned as being complementary, rather than competitive.
Hermes and CFX will work very well together, each bringing benefit potential to the other. This is the way that a responsible industry behaves. Companies and customers have the opportunity to support both together without risk or loss. There is no need to be concerned, to shy away from the changes happening in the industry. Digitalization of manufacturing is the key business opportunity of the decade, whoever and wherever you are, so stand-up and be a part of it, and create your opportunities. 2018 is the year it will happen. Really.
Suggested Items
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
04/26/2024 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineIn this week’s roundup, we have a variety of articles covering everything from design through assembly, and even box build. I’ve always wondered whether box build was all it was cracked up to be. Do customers really pick one EMS provider over another because one company offers box build? And if you’ve ever wanted to volunteer, IPC’s Thought Leaders Program is looking for a few good technologists to help them on their mission. Check out Stanton Rak’s article, which was published in the spring issue of IPC Community.
Stan Rak: Elevating the Ideas and Insights of IPC's Thought Leaders Program
04/25/2024 | Stanton Rak, SF Rak CompanyAs a member of the IPC Thought Leaders Program (TLP), I am responsible for identifying knowledge-sharing opportunities that can generate ideas and insights that strengthen the IPC community as well as create a sustainable and lasting future for its members. I am delighted to highlight some of my recent contributions as a member of the TLP.
Alternative Manufacturing Inc. Awarded QML Requalification to IPC J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610
04/24/2024 | IPCIPC's Validation Services Program has awarded an IPC J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610 Qualified Manufacturers Listing (QML) requalification to Alternative Manufacturing Inc (AMI).
IPC Design Competition Champion Crowned at IPC APEX EXPO 2024
04/24/2024 | IPCAt IPC APEX EXPO 2024 in Anaheim, California, five competitors squared off to determine who was the best of the best at PCB design.
Big Win for Defense Production Act Budget Allocation in FY24 Budget
04/23/2024 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamOne year ago, President Biden issued a determination that chips and packaging are critical for national security. Since that time, much work has been done to continue the conversation in Washington, elevating the importance of the entire chips value chain, and including printed circuit boards and substrates, without which chips cannot operate.