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Smart Manufacturing Blog

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Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)

Plex Manufacturing Blog

Connectivity, Automation, and IIoT Power the Modern Shop Floor

Dave Morfas October 12, 2017

Manufacturing starts on the shop floor. It’s where material moves, product is created, ultimately, where the work gets done. Every day, new devices and equipment are providing manufacturers with new opportunities for innovation and connection. In its four years, the 2017 State of Manufacturing Technology Report surveyed more than 150 manufacturers and reveals how manufacturers are leveraging…

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4 IIoT Use Cases That Show Real Business Impacts for Manufacturing

Dave Morfas September 7, 2017

By now, you’ve heard about the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). You may have even talked about it with your team but, if you’re like a lot of small to mid-sized manufacturing companies you are still in the early stages of investigating what IIoT means to your business....

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Industry 4.0: How Advancements in Manufacturing Technology Are Transforming the Industry

Peter Pearce July 7, 2017

In the United States, economic growth has been a bit sluggish in the past decade. When you look at global economic growth, there's one common factor with all that causes the economy to grow. It’s manufacturing. Due to a number of contributing economic, political, and market factors across the globe, there’s a significant revolution that’s underway within the manufacturing industry. ...

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Advanced Manufacturing Technologies Provide Endless IIoT Opportunities

Kaitlin Rebella May 26, 2017

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has a potential economic impact of $1.2-$3.7 trillion a year in 2015. Because of this enormous opportunity, many of metro Detroit’s technologists are talking about ways to integrate IIoT – where they can apply it, how they can benefit from it, and even how it can be used in their products and by customers....

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Real-World Examples of IIoT in Manufacturing

Dave Morfas April 11, 2017

As a manufacturer, any new technology must have operational meaning, purpose, and application for you to consider it. The buzz around the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) promises improved operational efficiency, higher quality, and cost savings. In fact, manufacturers who have begun their IIoT journey are achieving realistic, incremental enhancements to support their business strategies. ...

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Small to Mid-Sized Manufacturers: It’s Time to Take Advantage of the IIoT Opportunity

Dave Morfas March 15, 2017

Manufacturers across all industries are investing in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)-enabled devices and according to TATA Consultancy, they’re already reaping benefits: an average of 28.5 percent increase in revenues between 2013 and 2014.1 IIoT is not just for the big manufacturing enterprises. Yes, the big companies often have more infrastructure and legacy system dependency than you…

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What Automotive Manufacturers Need to Drive Success in Today’s Complex Markets

Stu Johnson February 21, 2017

Complexity in automotive manufacturing is growing. The systems that support your business are likely just as complex—70 percent of manufacturers see an increase in complexity in their organization’s ERP ecosystem due to changing business environments. You need to manage your supply chain and customer demands but the one thing you have the most control over is your own operations....

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HK Metalcraft’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology Approach: A Family Legacy

Plex Team January 3, 2017

Joshua Hopp is the fourth-generation owner of a manufacturing business that specializes in precision metal stampings. His father, Raymond, installed a company-wide ERP system back in the 80s when no one else in the industry even considered it. Nearly three decades later and that once cutting-edge ERP now required customization after customization to keep pace with customer demands. ...

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Techonomy Detroit: The Transformational Power of Tech

Jerry Foster October 29, 2015

Recently I had the privilege of participating in Techonomy Detroit, a gathering of business, civic, nonprofit and academic leaders, where I was able to take a step back from my daily focus on the Plex Manufacturing Cloud and think about the broader impact of technology and manufacturing on communities and society....

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Plex Insight: Internet of Things Brings Increased Manufacturing Intelligence

Jerry Foster August 20, 2015

For FloraCraft, the world’s largest fabricator and supplier of foam products for the craft, floral, display and special event industries, one-tenth of a penny determines a product’s profitability. Like FloraCraft, the manufacturing industry has always been data-driven, and the greatest proof of this is perhaps manufacturers’ historic understanding and focus on the cost of goods sold....

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