Smart Factories: Industrial IoT and Automation
Smart Factories: Industrial IoT and Automation Smart factories integrate sensors, machines, and software to monitor and manage production in real time. The core is the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), which links robotics, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), temperature and vibration sensors, and energy meters to a common data platform. This network creates a live picture of plant health, asset condition, and product quality, so teams can act quickly. To balance speed and safety, many plants use edge computing. Local devices process data near the source, sending only meaningful results to the cloud. This reduces latency, lowers bandwidth use, and keeps sensitive data closer to equipment. Operators still access dashboards, but the most time‑critical decisions happen on the factory floor. ...