Smart factory

The goal of Industry 4.0 is to create autonomous production in which people, machines, systems and products communicate with each other independently. The result are intelligent value chains and product life cycles in which not only production is controlled, but also the entire value chain, from suppliers and producers to customers can be optimized. This brings a lot of benefits: smart factories can achieve greater productivity and growth, ensure high quality and reduce the risk of human error, provide the right data for analysis and optimization purposes, minimizie downtime and disruptions through predictive maintenance, safeguard the supply chains from disruptions, offer customized products, meet sustainability commitments - to ultimately become more competitive.

1. Smart usage of data, collected and communicated via ubiquitous, reliable connections: While production is running at full speed huge amounts of data are collected. It is essential to collect, analyse, understand, and deploy this massive amount of data effectively and securely. Therefore reliable and secured connectivity of people, machines and "things" in physical and virtual domains via wired and wireless technologies is the heartbeat of every smart factory, allowing high-speed communication for complex automation.
2. Autonomous production with transparent and flexible supply chains: Innovative automation solutions bring increased quality, accuracy and precision to industrial processes by creating an ecosystem of sensors, machines, robotic devices and other instruments connected together, communicating and exchanging data with both internal and external software automation systems. Real-time and end-to-end visibility, shared with all participants, enables smart and resilient supply chains. Issues can be anticipated at an early stage and therefore prevented before they occur.
3. Keeping a finger on the pulse: New technologies and developments, for example in the areas of machine vision, augmented reality, AI and machine learning, robotics, predictive maintenance and condition monitoring, can help to keep the smart factory even more efficient, flexible and resource-saving.
4. Sustainability: Rising energy demand while optimizing energy efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions can be achieved by reliable data that can lead to energy savings by uncovering inefficient production flow, optimizing production and logistics planning, and anticipating maintenance needs. Smart semiconductor solutions are the essential gatekeepers for these developments and innovations. At many automation touchpoints they ensure efficient and secure data flow, control the speed of industrial motors and facilitate unexpected gains in overall flexibility.

1. Wired communication
   In the smart factory of the future, sensors, machines, devices and IT systems interact with each other. To do this, they must exchange a wide range of data and information. Wired communication still dominates the connectivity of different hierarchy levels within the connected factory. Whether it is the connection of sensors, actuators, motors and drives to an industrial control system or high-level communication to or from a cloud via Ethernet or proprietary fieldbus systems, a secure, robust and reliable exchange of information is required, partly based on real-time properties. From transceivers, PHYs, peripherals on microcontrollers to standalone communication controllers, Infineon offers a range of wired communication devices supporting different protocols and communication standards. In terms of data security and integrity, Infineon's high-security microcontrollers based on leading hardware-based security are the right choice.
      
2. Wireless communication
   With mobile robots, automated guided vehicles and other mobile devices becoming more widespread – in particular on the factory floor -, wireless information and command exchange approaches are increasing its market share. As a leading wireless controller and RF chip maker with strong focus on system understanding, Infineon provides WiFi, Bluetooth and corresponding RF solutions to support customers into taking their devices to the next level of digitalization.  

In today’s high-tech factories, the sensors integrated in the machines or systems provide data on their current status and record variables such as position, speed, torque, temperature, utilization, humidity or pressure. These industrial sensors play an integral role in processing systems’ precision and reliability. But the sensors must be durable enough to perform in an industrial environment – and small enough for the very limited space on an integrated printed circuit board (PCB). For high-quality industrial sensors, have a look at Infineon's offering. 

During the last years, we've seen everything from a rush on hygiene products and food due to lockdown announcements to a significant shortage of semiconductor chips. These circumstances have led more and more manufacturers to consider ways to optimize their manufacturing processes. This hype in the field of industrial automation is being fueled by other trends mostly triggered by digitalization and sustainability goals - like the demand for power-efficient and industrial grade components with guaranteed long-term availability.

The orientation to the trends poses major challenges for many industrial companies.

1. Manufacturing and process control: Shortening the production time to achieve faster throughput.
2. Robustness, safety, reliability: Extended life cycle of equipment for less energy and raw material consumption.
3. Real-time connectivity: Interoperability of all devices and controls for seamless data flow and continuous data transparency.
4. Advanced sensor technologies: Optimization of production flow for early detection of defects.

Infineon provides its customers with the right technologies and innovations to address current and future security, functionality, connectivity and performance demands for industrial automation in smart factories. We offer high-quality industrial grade semiconductors along with a range of proven reference designs. All this makes your automation design as simple, efficient, and reliable as possible.

Innovations in industrial manufacturing are developing rapidly. Major trends in Industry 4.0 are fundamentally the further development of IIoT products, high-performance sensors and actuators, and artificial intelligence applications. Digital Twin technology will continue to enrich industrial processes and put them to the test. In addition, the topic of energy efficiency, for example in the field of robotics and automation, will continue to be pushed both by researchers and within industrial companies. In order to guarantee resilient supply chains, the trend in terms of locating production sites is clearly moving in the direction of reshoring.