A division of Hurco Companies Inc.
There is a lot of confusion surrounding modern manufacturing technology, and figuring out what is and what isn't important for you can sometimes be difficult, especially in a high-mix manufacturing environment.
MTConnect ® is simply an open source communications protocol that allows for greater data interoperability between manufacturing equipment and 3rd party software.
Automation plays a big role in industry 4.0 technology. Automation means different things to different shop owners. Shop owners who operate a high volume/low mix shop are likely to have a form of robotic automation integrated into their operations while low volume/high mix shops are likely to have little experience with robotic automation.
The Industrial Internet of Thing (IIOT) is a part of a large concept known as the Internet of things (IOT). The Internet of Things is a collection of network-connected devices that have the ability to transfer data with each other independently over a shared network - creating opportunities for shop owners and manufacturers to gain a better insight into their operations.
Industry 4.0 represents the fourth industrial revolution and the next stage in manufacturing best practices and technology.