Consumers are becoming far more discerning about their beer. That’s why craft brewing is a booming business. According to the Brewers Association, craft beer production grew 5% in the U.S. while the beer market as a whole fell by 1%. Small and independently owned craft breweries now account for 98% of all breweries operating in […]
Driving Innovation Through Finance
Financing is not always well understood by small and mid-size organizations. According to surveys, however, it is a key driver of successful digitalization. Owners and executives say financing opens the door to competitive pricing, improved competitive positioning and increased operational efficiency. It can also improve working capital, enable the procurement of new technology, and boost […]
PCs, PLCs Unite to Improve Efficiency
Multifunctional Platform brings best of both worlds Programmable controllers and personal computers are both powerful tools in industrial environments, each providing different benefits that help companies speed production and improve efficiency. Plant floor managers that link them together efficiently will see significant performance benefits. When PCs and PLCs work together more closely, higher level processing […]
Automation Slashes Package Delivery Times
Material handling equipment enables faster times for shipping orders The market for automated material handling equipment is growing by leaps and bounds as consumer demand evolves from a world that once found 4-to-6-week delivery windows acceptable to one where a couple days is a slow timeframe. This rapid evolution requires considerable distribution infrastructure, driving rapid […]
Crafting New Solutions for Brewers
Digital systems let brewer try more flavors, ramp up for hot sellers Intense competition in the brewing and distilling field is driving a significant digital transformation. Time-to-market is essential for craft brewers who need to capture consumer interest before their competition do. Craft breweries constantly refine and modify their recipes, so their brewing operations must […]
HMI Design: The Key to Process Efficiency
Instant impressions are important. Visitors quickly flee from a poorly designed website to others with more visual appeal. It is the same with the Human Machine Interface (HMI). Some companies go to great lengths to ensure their product caters to every possible need – yet spoil them with a poorly conceived HMI. According to recent […]
Beginning the IoT Journey:
Establishing Connectivity and Finding IoT Value in the Cloud Many predict that the Internet of Things (IoT) will transform the world as we know it. That’s why many companies have begun developing IoT applications. However, a study by Gartner showed 60% of IoT initiatives failed to move beyond the Proof of Concept (PoC) stage. Only […]
How to Implement a PROFINET Controller on a PC
In a challenging economy, industrial manufacturers look for ways to reduce costs. For example, many now harness standard PCs or internally developed embedded systems. They develop control applications and host them on PCs. As well as lower cost, this can provide advantages such as performance and flexibility. The problem, however, is networking. These machines usually […]
Time Sensitive Network Usage Speeds Up
TSN, OPC UA combine to address growing demand for real-time communications The automation world’s drive to do more intricate tasks at increasingly higher speeds is driving interest in Time Sensitive Networking, which lets systems handle real-time communications. PROFIBUS/PROFINET International (PI) plans to start developing ways to use TSN to facilitate the integration of operational technology […]
Searching for Depth in Cybersecurity
Protecting networks becomes mainstream industrial activity Industrial security has transformed from an afterthought to an important concern over the past several years. Devising efficient strategies for operational networks must now be part of corporate planning for all but the smallest of companies. Many factors are forcing companies to determine how they can provide an appropriate […]
