Abstract:
Industrial drives have developed to the point where they are seen as commodity items, but continued technology advances are bringing in new functions and capabilities for improving productivity in a digital age. The modern intelligent drive is a key enabler for continuous improvement on the line. The increased use of sensors attached to automation equipment and the sharing of information on a massive scale are the cornerstone of Industry 4.0, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Under Industry 4.0 it is hypothesised that production lines will reconfigure automatically in order to optimise productivity, reduce changeover times and accommodate wide product variations.