Announcement
Now Available!
Get your copy of the 7th Annual State of Smart Manufacturing and hear from 300+ manufacturers in this new survey report!
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
Plex Manufacturing Blog
Demystifying IIoT: Terms Every Manufacturer Should Know
By now, you’ve heard a lot about the industrial Internet of things (IIoT). It’s a network of always-connected things and systems that produce a steady stream of data, which can generate compelling synergistic analytics that could be used to increase the overall efficiency of a manufacturing operation among other things. ...
Read More
Manufacturers in Mexico Take on Industry 4.0 and IIoT
Mexico has traditionally been a desirable location for U.S. manufacturers to expand their facilities because of the low cost of labor. But the country has positioned itself as a viable competitor within the manufacturing industry. Mexico’s number one export is manufactured products and it is the seventh largest auto manufacturer—recently surpassing Japan as the second-largest U.S. auto parts…
Read More
Industrial IoT and the Pragmatic Manufacturer: Lessons Learned from Prime Day 2019
There is quite a lot of hype surrounding the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) within the manufacturing industry. Large-scale Industrial IoT pilots driven by enterprise-focused technology companies paint pictures of fully-connected and automated plants, complete with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) that promise ROI but require large early investments of time and capital…
Read More
2019 PMA IoT Experience: What Metalformers and Fabricators Can Do with Shop Floor Data
I was surprised while speaking at the IoT for Manufacturers event held by MetalForming Magazine, how many people raised their hands when I asked who was attending their first IoT conference: nearly the entire audience....
Read More
6 Myths About an Industrial IoT Implementation
As more manufacturers take a serious look at the benefits of Industrial IoT, understanding what an implementation will involve becomes important. But before we get into the list of myths about an Industrial IoT implementation, I’d like to reiterate what I’ve said about Industrial IoT before:...
Read More
Hype vs. Reality: What’s Really Happening with Industrial IoT in Manufacturing?
Reading any of the major technology media outlets, you will find stories of big manufacturers that are heavily investing in Industry 4.0 projects. Stories like these would make anyone believe that U.S. factories are filled with robots, machines, and sensors that transmit real-time data about everything from product engineering to quality to production performance—and that the data is being used…
Read More
PowerPlex 2019: Navigating Frenetic Change - How Manufacturers Can Thrive During Technology Disruption
Ever think about how far we’ve come since AOL was introduced? Plex CTO Jerry Foster does. As the leading innovator at a manufacturing cloud software company, Jerry knows firsthand how technological advancements help companies drive and respond to rapid change. The pace of business is picking up, and nobody has seen this more than manufacturers....
Read More
Why Should You Care About Industrial IoT?
You are a manufacturing supplier that prides yourself on quality performance and on-time delivery. You’ve invested heavily in production equipment and have the best people to help your run the business. You have a manufacturing ERP system that keeps all of your departments connected to the latest information and enables them to work effectively from customers to suppliers and from the top floor…
Read More
2019 PMA Leadership Conference: Forming Our Future
One thing became very clear to me attending the 2019 PMA Leadership Conference, there is no shortage of challenges facing the manufacturing industry right now. Tariffs are making raw materials so expensive it’s difficult to compete. The skilled worker shortage continues to be a thorn most manufacturers are still grappling with. And the need to innovate while driving efficiency is always critical…
Read More
Manufacturing and the Digital Thread to Industry 4.0
Change is not a word that many people think of when it comes to the manufacturing industry. Words like precise, quality, reliability, efficiency are more commonly associated with manufacturing. But change is happening, and it’s increasing in speed. Manufacturing, as a sector, is changing dramatically and strategically. ...
Read More