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54 E L EC TR I C AL CONNEC T I ON
W I N T E R 20 1 6
DAWN OF THE CYBER-PHYSICAL
T
he manufacturing industry
has undergone significant
transformation over the past two
centuries. Today, we are rapidly being
propelled into the Fourth Industrial
revolution (otherwise known as the
Industrial Internet of Things, or IIoT)
– the era of cyber-physical systems.
And this is heralding in a new vision for
manufacturing: the ‘smart factory’.
There is no doubt that advancements
in manufacturing have transformed our
lives. Living standards have improved
dramatically and real wages have risen,
while the price of items once considered
a luxury, such as cars, has fallen. On top
of this, great strides have been made in
food safety and public health.
However, the 21st century has brought
with it a new set of challenges.
By 2050, there will be nine billion
people on the Earth, 30% more than
there are today. While productivity needs
to increase in response, we also need to
improve quality, to meet the demands of
an increasingly discerning customer.
Sustainability is now firmly on the
agenda as well. As a major user of
energy, the manufacturing industry is
under more pressure than ever before to
reduce consumption and adopt a greener
energy mix.
And the manufacturing workforce is
ageing. Before long, there will be a real
shortage of skills and experience in the
labour market.
Set against a backdrop of rising
energy costs and a volatile commodities
market, manufacturers now face a
catch 22 situation: the need to increase
productivity and flexibility while using
fewer resources at the same time.
With the dawn of the IIoT, the lines
between the digital and physical are
breaking down and the way machines
operate, connect and communicate
is being transformed. This offers a
solution to the challenges faced by the
manufacturing industry and forward
thinking Australian companies are
embracing the idea of smart factories to
get ahead of the game.
While understanding these challenges
can help Australian companies take
advantage of smart factory technology
and achieve more with less it is also
important that electrical contractors
are aware of the trend and its place in
industry. This is because they are likely
SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC APAC
FOOD AND BEVERAGE SEGMENT
DIRECTOR
CRAIGROSEMAN
SAYS THERE’S A SIGNIFICANT
SHIFT HAPPENING IN THE
MANUFACTURING SECTOR, AND
IT ALL HAS TO DOWITH THE
INDUSTRIAL INTERNET OF THINGS.
Vendors such as Schneider Electric are at the heart of the global drive to help industry design and build smarter factories.
FACTORY AUTOMATION