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Industry 4.0

Pundits have been predicting the next industrial revolution for years. Is it finally here? While tangible progress on Industry 4.0 initiatives has been made, adoption is not necessarily uniform across industries. What will it take to fully realize the benefits of Industry 4.0 in your business?

Overview

As soon as the Internet of Things (IoT) began to emerge, dreams of its potential for reinventing the industrial workplace have tempted the imaginations of professionals everywhere. But the visions of Industry 4.0 – or the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) – where widespread device and machine connectivity improves worker performance, factory productivity and product quality -- have seemed elusive to most.   

The industrial supply chain, including robotic manufacturing experts, system integrators and line builders, deliver the infrastructure that enables Industry 4.0. Emerging applications, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital twins, are made possible using Industry 4.0’s network of sensors, vision systems and other connected devices. But as companies seek open, scalable and connected IIoT technologies, they’re facing the challenges of highly fragmented communication protocols and legacy systems.  

Molex enables Industry 4.0 by providing the interconnect solutions and engineering expertise necessary for our customers to finally realize the business outcomes that have appeared just out of reach. What's your vision for Industry 4.0?  

Featured Resources

The State of Industry 4.0

Molex surveyed 216 participants in various roles working at companies that make robots, devices, control systems and complex machines that enable Industry 4.0 for their customers. The results reflect many of the challenges Industry 4.0 has faced: a lack of uniformity around digital transformation and misalignment between team's chief among them. Yet almost half of respondents have now achieved major success in realizing Industry 4.0 – a number that will only grow over time. How can Industry 4.0 be more easily accessible? 

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The Next Frontier for Automotive Manufacturing Cost Leadership

Industry 4.0 has made it clear that the future of automotive manufacturing is far beyond traditional assembly lines where robots are used simply for assembly and welding. Instead, Industry 4.0’s promise of real-time data availability can significantly reduce the risk of costly assembly downtime. Learn how Molex’s advancements in Flexible Automation Modules (FAMs) and other control devices are creating cost and efficiency wins on the next frontier of IIoT  for automotive manufacturers. 

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The New Era of Smart Machines and Robotics

The Industrial Automation (IA) supply chain is struggling to develop smart ways to leverage advancements in Industry 4.0 as machines evolve in intelligence and capability. Although the future is in reach, obstacles such as limited communication protocols and legacy infrastructure are slowing the real-time exchange of data between machinery: a necessity for pragmatic implementation. How can companies successfully implement smart manufacturing and achieve Machine-to-Machine (M2M) efficiency?

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Case Study

Customer-Focused Collaboration Powers Technology Innovations

For many organizations, the opportunity to realize the value of Industry 4.0 is still on the horizon. But for Italian metal fabrication machine builder, Salvagnini, an overarching commitment to process optimization and efficiency is yielding tangible benefits today. Find out how Molex collaborated with Salvagnini to fuel flexible industrial automation solutions, expediting a fast, efficient path to Industry

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“With Molex’s help, we continue to tackle the challenges of today’s supply chain constraints in different ways. We are aligned culturally to deliver modular, innovative and customized solutions based on in-depth studies of customer needs – reinforced by pioneering, smart solutions that support and enhance final products.”
Alessandro Bano
Commodity Manager
Salvagnini
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Closing the Gap Between Information and Operational Technologies

Molex’s State of Industry 4.0 Survey revealed a significant amount of frustration with communication protocols, especially regarding remote access. The apparent standoff between Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) indicates a clear hurdle to successfully adopting IIoT infrastructure. Learn how Molex uses close collaboration and technical agnosticism to help customers navigate the alphabet soup of communication technologies and close the gap between IT and OT.

Navigate the Alphabet Soup Close the IT/OT Gap
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Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Truly adopting Industry 4.0 requires buy-in and participation at all levels of an organization. Fully empowered, cross-functional teams and close customer collaboration are necessary to accelerate the Fourth Industrial Revolution and set the stage for the eventual reality of Industry 5.0. Through iterative steps, companies can achieve incremental benefits, cross-organizational divides and reduce technology barriers.

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