The consequences of connected industry (the industrial Internet of Things) for businesses and the people who work in them are just beginning to come to light as technology gets off the digital drawing board and into the smart factory.
Harvard Business School pointed out in a recent article that the first two waves of change brought on by information technology were about workflow. As computer technology moved into business in the mid 20th century, process were automated and production increased. When the internet got into business at the end of the 20th century, great strides in communication among humans allowed big changes in supply chain activity, with global integration becoming commonplace.
But neither computers nor the internet made big changes in the things being produced, outside of the electronics industry. Toasters were made, packed, transported, and sold faster, more efficiently, and more cheaply (or with higher profit margins), but they were still just toasters.
Although Sanyo’s toasters were labeled “This product is Y2K compliant.”
The IoT will change that. Toasters will be programmed to toast your artisanal bread to perfection as soon as your coffeepot lets them know that the brew is within 73 seconds of perfection — since the shower alerted the coffeepot when you quit singing and started getting serious about your morning preparations.
The New Statesman has a thoughtful article on whether or not this is a good idea.
In the factory, however, as shown by the Rexroth video above, the IoT will facilitate good coffee and also keep energy savings practical.
In the meantime, when you need support for Rexroth electric drives or motors, give us a call. We provide phone support, field support, and emergency replacement drives, controls, and motors.