Automation vendors continue to support standardisation efforts initiated by NAMUR, with demonstrators and reports on pilot implementations of Module Type Package (MTP) that facilitates modular production.  The impressive list*) of users, vendors, integrators and associations that participated in the common booth on MTP testifies on the perceived importance of modular production, and predicts significant rates of adoption of the standard.

Manufacturers around the globe are beginning the journey of digital transformation investment.  Some are well into the transformation.  Unfortunately, many enterprises are not sufficiently equipped from an organizational point of view.  Creating a strategic IT-OT investment plan is essential, as indicated in a previous post on this blog.  However, many will look at this as an IT-OT technology-based digital transformation investment plan, rather than holistically as an enterprise transformational plan that involves organizations and people as well as the latest digital technology.

Aera Energy described their IT journey to take advantage of their operating data by using the OSIsoft PI system to drive operational performance in oil and gas.

How have lithium batteries managed to dominate new grid-scale energy storage?

The global race toward smart manufacturing is driving the use of advanced automation technologies such as machine vision (MV). MV has become a key technology in both manufacturing and quality control; however, MV is rapidly becoming a crucial building block for Industrie 4.0-enabled smart factory infrastructure. MV is an essential element for smart factory infrastructure, due to its characteristics such as efficient communicating network and the intelligent exchange of information among sensors, devices, and machines.