According to a report by BDO, at the start of 2020, industry 4.0 strategies were being implemented by one in three manufacturers- a significant rise from just one year ago where that number was closer to 5%.
Smart manufacturing, and subsequently, the use of computers in industrial manufacturing has continued to see consistent growth as more and more computer automation use cases make themselves known. Between compact fanless rugged PCs, panel PCs, and highly scalable models, industrial computers can safely handle automated manufacturing, assembly, monitoring and remote access for any industry. Industrial computers come in various shapes, sizes, configurations, and capacities, depending upon the aspect of industrial processes they are meant to handle. This development is the arrival of the industrial computer. There is, however, one development in the field of computing that deserves mention on account of its highly sophisticated synchronization with the requirements of industrial automation. This symbiosis is so deeply inset in the modern world, that no longer are questions about the significance of computers in the industry relevant this significance is a given. Not only have computers directed the trajectory of industrial automation, but developments in the latter have also in turn influenced advancements and improvements in computing processes.
It may be understood as an umbrella term for computer automation of design, manufacturing and monitoring processes and techniques, across the industrial spectrum, be it engineering, civic, defense, medical, retail or home automation, to name just a few.Ĭomputer automation has shaped our perception of these industries and, as such, defined our relationship with them.Ĭomputers and industrial automation cannot be understood in isolation. Industrial automation, as the name suggests, refers to using industrial computers in order to automate industrial processes.