Smart Manufacturing Blog

Welcome to your source for all things smart manufacturing. Whether you’re looking for expert insights, hard data, or actionable tips for your plant floor, we’ve got you covered every week of the year.

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Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)

Plex Manufacturing Blog

Automation Fair 2023 – Driving Digital Quality with Plex QMS

Plex DemandCaster October 4, 2023

Taking place on November 6-9 in Boston, MA, Automation Fair 2023, presented by Rockwell Automation, will showcase today's cutting-edge industrial automation technology.Automation Fair 2023 is the premier event for industrial automation and a must-see for those undergoing digital transformation. This year, Plex, by Rockwell Automation, will present several speakers to discuss their advancements in…

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Bring in the Cat and Lock the Door: Securing Your Manufacturing Data

Plex Team July 18, 2023

On days when the temperature is just right, there's nothing like a screen door to let in the breeze and sunlight and keep out the bugs. While that image is idyllic for quiet afternoons at home, it's a nightmare for the security of a smart manufacturer whose greatest need is to secure their data.The reality is, in business, the temperature isn't always right. And while no one wants bugs in and out…

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Improving Operator Efficiency with Asset Performance Management KPIs

Plex Team May 16, 2023

Operators and front-line supervisors are critical in keeping equipment running smoothly in any industrial setting. They spend hours controlling machinery, monitoring its performance, making adjustments, and intervening when necessary.Often, operators are intuitively aware of issues with their machines. They quickly learn each machine's quirks and their normal and abnormal performance. While this…

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Take Us to Your Leader

Plex Team May 9, 2023

Old black-and-white movies of invading outer space robots are an old staple of weekend cable television. Landing on an open field surrounded by stern-faced military staff, guns, tanks, and anxious political leaders, the ships always revealed robots with waving arms and impending doom for humanity.We've come a long way from fearsome robots resembling a cross between a giant propane tank and the…

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Key Takeaways from the Smart Manufacturing Software Buyer's Guide

Plex Team April 12, 2023

With advanced technology driving industrial digitization across the globe, companies are reaching new heights in efficiency, process optimization, and other revolutionary achievements unheard of even a few years ago.To stay competitive, it's essential to identify superior solutions that align your company with all these technologies. But choosing the best software solution to accomplish this isn’…

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What IIoT Can Do for Manufacturers

Plex Team October 11, 2022

It’s no secret that the age of smart manufacturing is here and fully underway. Most industries are already leveraging the power of data-driven insights and the adoption of smart manufacturing platforms....

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Using a Smart Manufacturing Platform for System Consolidation

Plex Team July 6, 2022

Manufacturers have a lot of pressure on their shoulders. Traditional software solutions sought to relieve that pressure by automating processes, reducing labor-intensive tasks, and optimizing performance efficiency for specific disciplines. That system of disparate software worked to improve efficiency - until one day it didn't. So, what changed? The most significant change was the technological…

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9 Reasons for More Visibility in Your Manufacturing Plant

Bernard Cohen March 21, 2022

Imagine putting on a pair of glasses that lets you see transparent, operational measurements in real time floating across your production line. With more and more companies embracing Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing methods, that level of visibility inside an industrial environment is now a major key to a successful operation....

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Utilizing Automation in Manufacturing Processes: The Future Is Here

Plex Team March 15, 2022

Driven by the rapid growth of technology, automation in manufacturing processes has significantly evolved over the years. Where traditional manufacturing was once utterly manual, more and more manual functions were reinvented with automated production. This included innovation in conveyance, limit switches, and eventually programmable logic controllers....

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Electricity, Sustainability, and Robots: Lessons from CES 2022

Jerry Foster January 25, 2022

Last week I attended the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Vegas, marking the fourth time in six years that a member of R&D has attended the high-tech event. While CES is primarily a consumer-oriented show, the technologies cutting their teeth in the consumer market often end up in the enterprise, or on the shop floor, so CES is critical to our forward-thinking plans and initiatives at Plex…

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