The concept of "Industry 4.0" is becoming increasingly important. Industry 4.0 is a term used to describe the concept of the "Smart Factory", – i.e., one in which the process of manufacturing is automated and "cyber physical" systems are able to communicate with one another and work together to achieve a common goal. This fourth industrial revolution is made possible via the "Internet of Things" – a network of physical objects embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity that enable all of these objects to communicate with one another.
Industry 4.0 is a key concept in the world of electronics manufacturing. There are four main characteristics of Industry 4.0:
- Vertical networking of smart production systems
- Horizontal integration via a new generation of global value chain networks
- Through-engineering across the entire value chain
- The impact of exponential technologies
Saline Lectronics has fully embraced the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0. Starting January 2016, the company will be launching a blog series wherein it will address the four main characteristics of Industry 4.0 and how Saline Lectronics has embraced each characteristic in its electronic manufacturing process.