Technology advancements in manufacturing are often focused on enhancing efficiency and product quality. As these technologies continue to flourish and connect manufacturing more and more with the “Internet of Things” (IoT), it’s important for these advancements to be equipped with proper security to protect manufacturers and their customers.

In the age of what many call the Fourth Industrial Revolution—or “Industry 4.0”—efficiency and security are both vital to sustaining the growth of new technologies in the manufacturing industry.

What is Industry 4.0?

In terms of manufacturing, Industry 4.0 is all about how technology is furthering the industry in terms of infrastructure, robotics, automation, and the IoT. The integration of artificial intelligence and advanced robotics, like our cobots, has optimized human-machine interaction and how these machines interact.

The advancements made in Industry 4.0 have led to all kinds of benefits for manufacturing, such as:

Shorter production times

Greater production variety

And improved oversight and visibility

Creating a Technologically Secure Environment in Manufacturing

One of the ways Industry 4.0 achieves greater variety, efficiency, and oversight is through the interconnectivity of machines with each other and the network at large, but this can open up manufacturers to viruses, hacking, and other issues if not properly secured.

At American Manufacturing, every machine or piece of equipment we add to our plant is firewall-protected, independent of our servers. This allows the machines to talk to each other as needed all within a secure internal line. It’s a safe and effective approach: Everything from the security cameras to the manufacturing machines to our telephones is individually ported to create a very technologically secure environment. If you tried to plug a computer into an ethernet cable meant for a specific machine, for instance, you wouldn’t be able to access the internal servers since that connection is only ported for that machine.

Industry 4.0 Advancements in Manufacturing

Beyond the security measures we can employ thanks to Industry 4.0 advancements, the equipment and software we use at American Manufacturing are designed to enhance efficiency and provide accurate, real-time data at every point of the manufacturing process. Here are a couple of key examples:

Incoming Data with CAD Modeling

Our new Trumpf robotic bending cell bases its parts and bends on the 3D files designed and implemented through CAD (computer-aided design) modeling. We do all of our CAD modeling in the office on a computer, then incorporate those files into the Trumpf software all without ever having to physically go out to the bending cell.

Outgoing Data with ERP Software

Just as we can send information to our machines for the manufacture of parts, our equipment talks back to us as well through our ERP software. Our automated machines are always counting the number of parts they have made for a given order or batch, whether cutting or bending, to provide real-time data of where we are at in a given production run.

Historically, this data wasn’t accessible until the end of the work day or sometimes the next day when the machines weren’t running and we could get an updated count. Thanks to the real-time counting of our automated machines, which send that data to the software in our office, we can provide even more accurate lead times and immediate information to customers on the progress of their order.

Embracing the Future at American Manufacturing

Whenever we incorporate a new machine or technology into our production processes at American Manufacturing, we think about how it will best serve our customers. Does it improve the quality of our products? Does it create better lead times or reduce overhead? Most of our new technologies do all of the above, making for a more secure and efficient manufacturing environment. Contact us to learn more or discuss working together.