March/April 2020

| 20 | Manufacturers are under pressure to be more efficient and profitable, driving them to new technologies born from the fourth industrial revolution. Completed by , a new survey has been released showcasing the use cases, barriers and future of the Smart Factory. Over two issues, Stratus Technologies will be offering insight into the results and what this means for the industrial sector. Greg Hookings, head of business development – digitalisation, Stratus Technologies reports. | 24 | Martyn Williams, managing director at industrial software provider COPA-DATA UK, examines Britain’s engineering skills shortage. | 26 | As additive manufacturing (AM) / 3D printing continues to evolve, many of the pre-conceptions concerning its usefulness as a production technology for plastic parts and components need to be revisited. Nick Allen, MD, 3DPRINT UK, reports. | 28 | Condition-based monitoring (CbM) is the Industry 4.0 equivalent of wearable fitness devices. With the explosion of connectivity comes the opportunity to observe the physical world like never before and to see physical processes in action, in real time, in fine detail. Stuart Servis, product applications engineer at Analog Devices reports. | 15 | | 26 | | Features | | Strategies | | Solutions | | CONTENTS | | 13 | Jonathan Wilkins, director of industrial automation parts supplier, EU Automation, discusses what manufacturers should consider when choosing which type of robot to invest in. | 15 | North West business leaders are now armed with the vision and the skills to pursue smarter manufacturing after completing Made Smarter’s leadership programme. Smart Machines & Factories reports. | 18 | As more and more companies implement business continuity plans to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak, fewer and fewer employees are able to fully function. Ariel Avitan, co- founder & chief commercial officer at Percepto reports. | 0 4 | March/April 2020 www.smartmachinesandfactories.com | Regulars | | 3 | Editor’s comment | 0 | 6 | News | | 34 | Primary Engineer |