Recognizing student robotics as a powerful investment in our future workforce and society, Molex is proud to be a supplier-sponsor of the FIRST student robotics program.

In today’s factories, across nearly every key industry, it’s common to see significant differences in the way various teams view and react to change in their operating environment. No clearer example of this exists than in manufacturing, where the adoption of new digital technologies and processes that deliver on the promise of Industry 4.0 is testing the two primary support teams that make this happen. The two teams are: Information Technology (IT), which runs the network that manages the enterprise, and Operational Technology (OT), which run the manufacturing lines including machines, robots, maintenance and anything related to them. They have been known to experience strained relationships as they work to smoothly usher in this transformation. This situation has spotlighted a clear gap in perceptions, support, and outlook of these technologies, highlighting a siloed approach that could stand as a roadblock to companies adopting Industry 4.0.

Industry 4.0 is poised to fulfill our vision of digital manufacturing through the automation and connection of smart devices, machines and production processes capable of driving efficiency while reducing cost, risk and time-to-market. For most of us, operational efficiency and cost reductions form the Industry 4.0 intersection where the rubber meets the road. Reaching that destination requires a precise path and careful navigation of a multi-year journey.