Artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming a manufacturing and mainstream technological superstar - a rare achievement indeed. Consider some recent Internet stories highlighting AI's applicability to everyday life.

The "D" word has become one of the hottest trends in the manufacturing world. State-of-the-art sensors attached to assembly tools and production equipment are capable of collecting a constant stream of data.

Industry 4.0 isn't anything new for the manufacturing engineers at Glidewell. The Newport, CA-based manufacturer of crowns, bridges and other dental products has been applying the concept since before it had a name.

Science fiction writers are often heralded as great visionaries and predictors of future technology. But, "serious" writers, so to speak, also have their prophetic moments, even if by accident.

Schneider Electric's factory in Lexington, KY, has been mass-producing electrical equipment for more than 60 years. But, the low-mix, high-volume assembly plant is not sitting back and living in the past. Instead, it has become a state-of-the-art showcase for the future of digital manufacturing.

Industry 4.0 is here. It's not a buzzword or marketing lingo. It's reality, and it's making assembly lines smarter and more efficient.

LOUISVILLE, KY—GE Appliances, a Haier company, has graduated the first engineer from its new Industry 4.0 Development Program, which targets recent engineering college graduates or midcareer employees who want to work at the company’s nine smart factories in the U.S.

Streamline pressing and joining with the compact, modular mechatronic solution: Smart Function Kit. Our infographic shows you how this plug-and-produce, no-coding-required solution makes pressing and joining smarter, faster and more productive.

WUHAN, China—Testing at China's first smart manufacturing plant for satellites has begun here, with production scheduled to begin in March.