Posted on 7/5/2018
Trends, by definition, are hard to trace. By the time an idea has taken hold with the individuals who pursue it, the circumstantial evidence is everywhere and all the new adherents want some credit. Big-stage events like IMTS are a good opportunity to see trends in action — but how can a prospective visitor know now what trends to be watching for in September.
“Smart manufacturing” is almost certain to be one of those ideas taking hold of IMTS attendees. Even as manufacturers are still preparing for the fully connected reality of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT, aka Industry 4.0), they should be prepared to make the next step to Smart manufacturing, the concept describing the full digitization of sensors, actuators, de...