New Industry 4.0 Showcase Opens in Chicago

A new interactive exhibit showcases how state-of-the-art tools can improve manufacturing efficiency and productivity. Photo courtesy MxD

CHICAGO—A new display of Industry 4.0 innovations at MxD (Manufacturing x Digital), the National Center for Cybersecurity in Manufacturing, is showcasing how state-of-the-art tools can improve efficiency and productivity. The interactive exhibit, which features the latest artificial intelligence, 5G connectivity and cloud technology, is organized by private wireless pioneer Betacom Inc., along with Google Cloud and Ingram Micro.

The permanent display is part of a collaborative effort to equip manufacturers with digital tools and expertise needed to strengthen U.S. competitiveness. By bringing together diverse technologies and device manufacturers on MxD’s Factory Floor Lab, the digital transformation initiative aims to demonstrate systems that are available today.

“As the manufacturing industry embraces the potential of Industry 4.0, our goal is to accelerate the adoption of advanced analytics technology and AI capabilities to drive efficiency, accuracy and innovation as part of this evolution,” says Charlie Sheridan, director of manufacturing industry solutions at Google Cloud. “[We] provides manufacturers with cloud-based platforms, AI and IoT, while ensuring scalability and security.”

“[We are] empowering our channel partners to further modernize the manufacturing sector,” adds Jeff Yelton, vice president of technology solutions at Ingram Micro. “Through MxD, we are offering our channel partners and their customers an up-close look into the transformation that private 5G, artificial intelligence and cloud technology are bringing to this industry.”

Several application areas on display in the joint showcase, including:

Smart Manufacturing—how machine vision, AI, data analytics, robotics, 5G and other technologies are revolutionizing manufacturing processes through automation to improve the efficiency, output quality and uptime of modern production lines.
Digital Workforce—how mobile devices and productivity tools enabled by AI, machine learning and assisted reality capabilities can streamline worker tasks, automate visual inspection and enable new levels of remote collaboration on and off the factory floor.
Resilient Supply Chain—how cloud-based data analytics can help manufacturers understand supply chain risks to improve demand planning and optimize execution, as well as how wireless technologies are enhancing inventory and asset tracking applications to provide end-to-end visibility from production to delivery.
Safety and Security—how technology can protect critical assets and data from cyber threats, as well as create safer work environments for people.

“For manufacturers to reap the value of automation and digitalization, technology providers must break down the silos and collaborate to solve real-world challenges, alleviate integration headaches and streamline access to proven solutions,” says Johan Bjorklund, CEO of Betacom. “Private 5G networks continue to gain momentum as the backbone for many Industry 4.0 initiatives, because they provide the reliable and secure connectivity needed for today’s most demanding applications.”

MxD is a digital manufacturing facility run by the U.S. Department of Defense. It’s located on Goose Island, a regentrified industrial area on the North Side of the city along the banks of the Chicago River. Member companies include Boeing, Intel, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Northrop Grumman, Rolls Royce and Siemens, plus a variety of manufacturing organizations and academic institutions.

The 22,000-square-foot research factory is used to test and demonstrate new digital manufacturing technologies, train operators and engineers on how to use them, and demonstrate the need for cybersecurity to protect the entire process.

Austin has been senior editor for ASSEMBLY Magazine since September 1999. He has more than 21 years of b-to-b publishing experience and has written about a wide variety of manufacturing and engineering topics. Austin is a graduate of the University of Michigan.

The ASSEMBLY Show South

ASSEMBLY is thrilled to return to the Music City Center in Nashville, TN for The ASSEMBLY Show SOUTH on May 1-2, 2024. This is a booming time for manufacturing and the U.S. South is right in the heart of the action. According to ASSEMBLY’s most recent annual capital spending survey, the South is projected to account for 31 percent of total spending this year, marking the fifth straight year this region has accounted for at least 30 percent of capital spending in the U.S.

In this session, manufacturers will learn how Quality function deployment (QFD) can transform consumers’ qualitative demands into quantitative parameters that will shape the design of their product and, ultimately, their manufacturing process.

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