Feature Article Archives - Convergix Automation

How Automation Is Changing the Future of Farming

by Convergix Marketing | Mar 6, 2025 | Feature Article

Population growth and climate change are placing pressure on the agricultural industry. Automation provides a path forward

In November 2022, the global population crossed the 8 billion threshold. That number is projected to pass 10 billion sometime in the years after 2050. Meanwhile, shifting climate conditions and ecosystem disruptions are having a drastic impact on crop growth. Flooding, drought, destructive storms, and invasive species are all taking their toll on crop yields for farmers at a time when increased output is desperately required to stave off mass food shortages.

However, there is plenty of reason for hope. The current situation is far from the first time in which humanity has approached its Malthusian limit—the point at which population has outpaced the ability of the world to feed it. The lessons from the past indicate multiple paths forward for the future of farming.

To feed the coming population boom, a new agricultural revolution is needed. Fortunately, there are signs it is already underway, both in traditional agriculture, and through new vertical farming systems. While the advantages these new technologies may have for agriculture are hard to overstate, there are still unsolved questions ahead. Nevertheless, the combined capabilities of automation and Industry 4.0 have the potential to transform agriculture, the environment, and food quality for billions of people worldwide.

4 Agricultural Challenges Aided by Automation and Industry 4.0

The primary focus for agricultural automation is to solve many of the most pressing issues threatening global food networks. Already, many of these issues are causing significant ecological and economic problems worldwide. Here’s how automation can help.

1) Crop yields

Currently, crop yields are being damaged by climate conditions, such as flooding or drought, and biological conditions, such as pests and disease. On the side of traditional farming, scientists are working to develop crops that are more resistant to disease, or that can tolerate a broader range of environmental conditions, including rice that can withstand higher salt concentrations in areas prone to flooding.

Meanwhile, vertical farming grows crops in a protected environment, safe from pests and other harsh conditions. Indoor farms can also grow crops year-round, including in locations not suitable for agriculture such as the desert or the arctic.

2) Effective land and water use

It only takes flying over the great plains to notice the drastic effect modern agriculture has had on land usage. Traditional farming requires huge swaths of land and also billions of gallons of water each year in the United States alone. Both these factors put hard limits on how much food can be sustainably grown using traditional methods.

Vertical farming effectively circumvents those limitations. While the numbers vary by crop, vertical farms use roughly 90% less land than traditional farms, and 95% less water. The water factor is especially important, as most water in traditional farms is lost to evaporation and runoff. In controlled environments, water can be recycled for use within a closed system.

3) Labor efficiency

According to a recent report from Meili Robots, the global supply of agricultural workers is projected to decline significantly over the coming decade, as more workers move into professions with better wages and less punishing working conditions. As this happens, the farmers who remain will need to look toward automated solutions to fill the labor shortage.

Vertical farms have the potential to be fully automated, with relatively minimal on-site staff tending the crops and ensuring that everything is working well. But traditional farms are also set to benefit from automation, whether in the form of autonomous farming vehicles, drone pollination, or robotic harvesting.

4) Environmental impact

As effective as the Green Revolution of the 1960s was in solving world hunger for the short term, we have since had to come to terms with the environmental impact that pesticides and fertilizers have had across ecosystems of all kinds. Moreover, monocropping practices have also undermined biodiversity while flirting with the specter of catastrophic crop failure should a staple crop fall victim to a new disease.

Vertical farming can protect crops from failure, but it also enables a wider variety of crops without the need for pesticide and with less reliance on fertilizer. Meanwhile, the land no longer required to grow traditional farms can be returned to nature, allowing richer biomes to flourish.

3 Consumer Benefits of Automated Farming

Automated agriculture has the potential to bring some revolutionary benefits that simply aren’t possible with traditional farming methods. Even simply automating construction of farming facilities or processes for heavy duty and off-road vehicles used in farm and agriculture helps reduce costs and improve efficiency. While these advances sound like ideas from a science fiction novel, many of them already exist in the early stages.

1) Local food sources

Transporting food hundreds of miles from where it’s been grown is obviously not good for the environment, but it’s also not good for produce. In order to withstand the jostling and days of sitting in crates, many fruits and vegetables are grown for durability, putting flavor into the back seat. Vertical farms can be located closer to population centers, lowering transportation costs (which contribute to the cost of produce) and providing fresher, tastier fruits and vegetables.

2) Specialty produce

If you’ve spent much time looking carefully through the produce section of your grocery aisle, you may have noticed a variety of fruits and vegetables that you’ve never heard of before. Many of these are recent imports from other parts of the globe, but others are recently developed, such as broccolini (a hybrid of two different broccolis).

The control vertical farms offer farmers over growing conditions makes it easier to experiment with new hybrids, but it also enables them to adjust other factors, too, such as light spectrums and nutrients. This allows smaller farmers to create vegetables finely tuned to match local preferences.

3) In-home growth stations

Sometime in the 20th century, gardening moved from a practical necessity to a popular hobby. Many people garden for the joy of it, but also for the convenience of having fresh produce within arm’s reach, and the pleasure of garden-fresh fruits and vegetables.

As automated farming becomes more compact and efficient, there’s reason to believe we could begin to see indoor growth stations enter the consumer market. With sensors in place to monitor light, hydration, nutrients, and readiness, indoor gardening could be a sustainable, year-round way for households to supplement their grocery budgets.

The future of farming is not without its hurdles, but technological breakthroughs show promise

As with any technological forecast, it can be all too easy to view the future with rose-tinted glasses and ignore the many barriers that exist to implementing these changes. For instance, despite its promise, indoor farming still has to become much more conservative in its energy use to be environmentally effective. It is also true that many tall grain crops, such as wheat or corn, are not as efficient in indoor farms as other more compact crops.

However, many of the underlying technologies required to support vertical farming already exist, and it’s clear that the concept itself is viable. Meanwhile, as those underlying technologies become more refined, the startup costs for vertical farms as well as their energy use will go down. This makes many of the future predictions for farming less of a pipe dream, and more of a near-future likelihood.

As automation experts, we work with both the agricultural industry to develop vertical farming systems, and other manufacturing industries such as energy and advanced technology. Our cross-industry expertise gives us deep insight into a range of manufacturing solutions. If you would like to find out more about how these learnings could be applied to your sector, contact us today for a consultation.

4 Ways Multi-Functional Robots Save Manufacturing Costs

by Convergix Marketing | Feb 28, 2025 | Feature Article

Robots can engage in multiple functions at a time, allowing for versatile and cost-saving applications

For many years, manufacturing automation has focused on hard-coded systems, where components were moved through a series of stations, each with its own specialized task. Each machine performed a very specific sequence of movements designed to advance the manufacturing process to the next step. Although automated and mechanized, these systems weren’t what most of us think of when we hear the word “robot.”

Today’s modern factory robots are also a far cry from the humanoid workers of science fiction. In fact, the sight most familiar to today’s manufacturers are articulated robot arms, equipped with precision sensors, and either a gripper or some other end effector tool. With as many as six axis or more of articulation, these robots can handle a range of tasks with precision and delicacy.

Although a more expensive component in initial automation, robots save manufacturers costs over time. Their flexibility and multifunctionality lend themselves to a diverse array of tasks, reducing the total number of components and making them more suitable for future use.

While robots are cost-effective for many reasons, in this article, we’re going to focus on the specific advantages of their multifunctionality and how they benefit manufacturers.

1) Robots can perform multiple quality checks at one station

In general, factory automation improves product quality by reducing opportunities for human error in the production process. Manufacturers can further improve their product output by designing fool-proof checks into a system using poka-yoke techniques or other quality control fixtures. The number of these fixtures can add up, however, and may introduce extra steps or complications into the validation process.

The good news is that today’s robots are equipped with advanced vision systems that allow them to accurately and efficiently inspect products and spot errors during the assembly process without the need for additional fixtures. By combining a robot with a laser measuring and inspecting device, manufacturers can cut down on the number of quality checks in their system, replacing them with a single robot that can inspect various areas of a part while performing other tasks.

2) Robots can adjust to their environment, instead of preparing the environment for the robot

For decades, manufacturers have saved costs and increased output by standardizing machine functions. Automated systems often need components to be positioned neatly and evenly to perform their set task, and this adjusting and arranging of parts can make certain assemblies more complex and challenging.

Robots, on the other hand, have more range and freedom of movement. They can lift, rotate, and adjust components to be at any angle they need to perform their task. They can also move around an object and can insert tools into hard-to-reach places, making them ideal for larger assemblies in the automotive or aerospace industries.

3) Robots can be both highly specialized and multifunctional

Versatility and specialization are often presented as opposing qualities in a tool, and in hard-coded automation, this is often the case. These machines achieve big production outputs because they can perform one task with hyper-efficiency. And, in uses where high volume output is the main focus, these machines are still the right choice.

But robots also boast incredibly high cycle times, often while performing more complex tasks significantly. Furthermore, it is possible to switch out the end effector of a robot during an assembly process, so that a robot moves between a gripper and a welding tool. Convergix recommends tool changers from ATI.

Robots can be equipped with as many end effectors as they need to complete an assembly, and it is usually possible to automate the process as part of the assembly routine. In this way, operators don’t even need to be on the factory floor to change over the robot’s end-effector.

4) Robots can be reprogrammed, allowing for future use within an automated assembly

Last but not least, unlike fixed manufacturing machines that can only perform a single function, robots can be reprogrammed and redeployed multiple times. This means that, if a product changes, or if a new manufacturing method is developed, robots can be adjusted to meet the new requirements.

This makes robots a much more stable investment for future automation needs. While many manufacturers will still get more than enough use out of fixed machinery, converting those processes which can be converted over to robotic systems will leave them with a tool that can continue providing value for decades to come.

Overhead view of multi-functional robotic system

Advanced robotic systems are an investment, but they also position manufacturers for future growth

In short, robots aren’t the machines of the future—they’re a critical automation solution for the present day. Manufacturers who use this technology in their automation systems will gain a valuable automation resource that can equip them to face new challenges in the years to come.

However, manufacturers don’t need to wait years to see the benefits of using robots in their manufacturing processes. In fact, given their ability to reduce the number of machines needed to complete a task by performing multiple functions at once, manufacturers should expect to see a quick return on their investment.

If you are looking for automated solutions to your manufacturing challenges, contact Convergix today. We can use our expertise in designing factory automation to help you identify the right automation technologies for your application. Contact us today to get started.

How Automation Is Enabling Semiconductor Industry Growth

by Convergix Marketing | Feb 21, 2025 | Feature Article

Computer hardware production with robot installing a component

The last few years have been tough for chip manufacturers. The pandemic threw global supply chain vulnerabilities into chaos, especially in the effect of chip shortages on product availability and delivery timelines. These challenges have prompted the high-tech industry to reevaluate its supply networks, prioritizing diverse and local sources of critical components. The United States government recognizes the importance of the domestic semiconductor industry as well, having passed legislation designed to support American fabrication plants in 2022.

Despite a tight few years, the semiconductor industry is poised for growth. Manufacturers need to be ready for increased demand, while simultaneously staying abreast of the latest technology, being nimble enough to pivot when the market demands it. Factory automation is helping chip manufacturers to accomplish this daunting slate of tasks by streamlining production, decreasing waste and cost, and driving the leading edge of manufacturing capabilities. Here’s how.

Business process re-engineering

In many cases, cost and logistical hurdles push fabrication plants to limit the scope of their automation efforts to find solutions: handling a particular task on the production line, in the warehouse, or transporting product between areas of the facility. Partial automation can and does provide significant efficiency gains, but a major benefit of full-scale automated systems is the integration of advanced decision-making capabilities with the plant’s production line.

With real-time data inputs, process control and manufacturing execution systems can proactively plan a fab’s capacity based on tool availability, and can adapt on the fly to changes in demand, equipment errors, and bottlenecks. Whether a customer unexpectedly scales up an order or a maintenance window is approaching on a wafer handler, automation software acts as a central collection point for this capacity-planning information and reassigns resources to achieve on-time delivery.

Consistency and throughput

Robotic material handlers have been providing consistent, precise execution in all types of manufacturing facilities for decades. While workers’ energy levels and focus naturally vary, chip production especially requires repeatable precision that doesn’t waver. Automation is, and has long been, an excellent option for freeing workers to handle more complex, creative tasks.

But with demand surging, companies are also looking for ways to increase throughput and do more with the resources they have. Increasing automation gets fabrication plants ever closer to the ideal of lights-out manufacturing, ensuring a steady flow of product with a minimum of downtime. Critical to this goal is quality control: the ability to integrate data from inspection and metrology systems and real-time status information from production line equipment to interpret that data and correct for faults. Catching chip flaws early means a minimum of wasted materials, which reduces cost and increases sustainability.

Sensitive material handling

The predictability—and controllability—of automated systems makes them ideal for cleanroom environments. Everything that enters and exits a cleanroom presents a possibility for contamination and human personnel are by far the most significant source. Robotic material handlers with low-particulate surfaces and shielded electronics, which need to leave the cleanroom much less often than workers, provide a fab with much greater control over its clean environment. Less contamination means less wasted material and effort and a leaner and more cost-effective production process.

The decision-making capabilities of a fully automated system can also respond in real time to the time-sensitive needs of chip production, preventing queue time violations in the production process. Tool availability planning reduces the chance that a bottleneck will build up anywhere along the line, causing chips to miss the window for their next processing step and requiring them to be reprocessed or scrapped.

Warehouse efficiency

Automation can also streamline fabrication plants’ warehouse operations. Track-and-trace systems make sure that tools, supplies, and finished products stay on the radar, reducing downtime spent looking for lost items or redundant activity when a component goes missing. Automated storage and retrieval systems optimize available space to both pack away and retrieve items simply and efficiently, saving all-important floor space for valuable manufacturing activity. Moving supplies and products to and from the cleanroom requires handling that is both delicate and efficient; automated transportation systems can ensure a reliable pipeline.

This frees up personnel for other, more complex work, and forestalls safety risks from storage equipment or injury from repetitive tasks. It also allows warehouse operations to stay nimble, able to pivot between activities and scale up or down as demand requires. In an industry where on-time delivery is key to customer satisfaction, the flexibility that automated warehouse functions provide is an enormous advantage.

Full automation is preparing fabs for growth in the semiconductor industry

The electronics-manufacturing market is starved for necessary components, and demand is growing for locally manufactured chips. Fabrication plants need to be agile to take advantage of a changing industry landscape. The impact of automated systems in a fab encompasses every aspect of production, from business process engineering to warehouse management. When high visibility into production line activity combines with advanced automated decision-making and responsive equipment, fabs can plan activity early, catch errors and adjust on the fly, reduce bottlenecks and scrap, and deliver product right on time.

CONVERGIX Automation Solutions is ready to assist you with finding the right automation solution for your semiconductor fabrication plant. Whether you need spot solutions to increase efficiency transporting materials to and from the cleanroom or are seeking a fully automated implementation to transform your facility, Convergix has the expertise to support you. Growing the domestic chip industry is both a government priority and a business imperative. Contact us today to explore how you can grow with it.

4 Ways Automated Packaging Can Transform Logistics

by Convergix Marketing | Feb 13, 2025 | Feature Article

Advanced robotics and leading-edge software are finding creative efficiencies in storage, packaging, and distribution

Automated packaging solutions have a host of benefits for any manufacturing business. But the material handling capabilities of robotic technology and leading-edge automation software aren’t limited to packing items in containers. There’s more to getting your products from the factory floor to the loading dock, and automation provides opportunities to increase productivity at every step along the way.

Packaging automation technology touches every aspect of logistics, and the advantages add up—especially in warehouses and distribution centers, where storage, transport, packing, and shipping make up a larger part of day-to-day activities. Introducing automation to any one task can streamline your storage and shipping. But if a larger network of automated systems is right for your business, it can transform your logistics and distribution operations.

Here are four ways automated packaging systems can reinvent your logistics workflows.

1) Safe, consistent, and scalable

Labor is often the first thing people think of when considering the advantages of automation, and with good reason. Packaging is especially hard on workers, where repetitive movements combined with lifting and twisting motions can take a heavy toll. Robots, working either alone or in collaboration with human workers, can perform a set of programmed motions precisely, consistently, and with no risk of injury.

Automated systems also scale with your business needs, so when demand increases, you’re not left struggling with production bottlenecks and staffing shortfalls.

2) More efficient use of resources

Packaging items in a too-big container means using void-fill material, spending extra on shipping, and risking quality or customer satisfaction issues. With access to real-time information on outbound items, advanced automation software can right-size packaging to cut down on shipping costs and empty space. Automation systems can even create custom-sized packaging on the fly, reducing decision-making time and the need to store multiple sizes of packing materials.

When multiple items are going out in a single package, either from a distribution center or as part of a kit, collecting the items and deciding on the best way to package them takes time. Advanced automation software can assemble kits for you and optimize cartonization, minimizing empty space in boxes and keeping shipping costs down. With access to your shipping data, automation systems can identify multiples of the same type of product going out and take advantage of batch processing to package them as efficiently as possible. Packaging software can even work side-by-side in distribution centers with automated pickers, selecting items directly into their shipping containers to streamline your workflow.

But top-to-bottom packaging automation isn’t the only way to boost your operations. Even partial automation can provide huge benefits. Robotic carton constructors and sealers can take over these repetitive tasks, allowing manual operators to focus on more complex work. Even freight rating can be automated so that workers don’t have to weigh and label packages by hand.

3) Better storage for better retrieval

Sorting products, stacking them for temporary and longer-term storage, palletizing them for easy transport, and loading them into trucks for delivery are all steps in the process that provide perfect opportunities for automation. Leading-edge vision systems and other detection systems can sort items by size, shape, and weight, and determine the safest configuration for storage or palletization.

Retrieving items from a storage shelf or a delivery truck also takes time, and automated warehousing can optimize the way shelves or trucks are loaded so that the items you need first are the first ones available. Robotic technology can quickly stack and palletize items to take them straight from the factory floor to the loading dock, cutting down on heavy lifting for workers and protecting the quality of your product with reliably secure packaging.

4) Get the most out of your space

Maximizing the use of floor space is a top priority in manufacturing. When space is at a premium, automated systems can streamline your processes and help you cut down on storage and staging space needs. When automated packaging technology is selecting the right size container for your items in real-time, or constructing custom-fit containers, you don’t need to keep as many packaging options on hand. You also need less void-fill material, freeing up inventory space.

Your warehouse also benefits from automation. Sorting and loading processes can palletize and stack products in ways that make the best use of your space, allowing you to either shrink your overall warehouse footprint, or making it more cost affordable to expand your inventory. Meanwhile, advanced software can organize storage in a way that makes locating and retrieving items simple and fast.

Automated packaging systems transform logistics from factory floor to loading dock and beyond

Robotics and leading-edge software take incremental gains in each step of the logistics workflow and combine them into game-changing efficiencies. The consistency of automated packaging systems reduces rework and waste, driving down costs and keeping your business greener. Automation takes the guesswork out of logistics by performing repetitive tasks with precision and using real-time data to optimize transport and storage—all of which combine to give your logistics employees a solid foundation for success.

At Convergix, we work with you to find the right automation solutions for your logistics needs. Our packaging capabilities include bag and case loading, conveyor systems, kitting, palletizing, sorting, stacking, and more. Our advanced robotics capabilities are equal to any task your team can imagine. Contact us today to talk about what packaging automation can do for your logistics and distribution operations.

5 Automation Advantages for EV Battery Production

by Convergix Marketing | Feb 6, 2025 | Feature Article

Electric Vehicle Battery Production Machinery

Leveraging automation for battery assembly will keep manufacturers on top of climbing demand.

Every year, electric vehicles (EVs) are getting closer to the tipping point of mainstream adoption. Infrastructure is catching up with consumer demand, and technology is improving every day. To take advantage of the industry’s growth, battery manufacturers must be ready to meet the increase in demand. If they can do so, the potential exists for a virtuous cycle: more efficient battery production drives down costs, which decreases the overall price of vehicles, making them accessible to even more consumers.

Financial forecasts are predicting rapid growth in EV-related industries, particularly in battery cell production and battery assembly. Manufacturers will need to move quickly to establish themselves in the market and must be ready to scale up as it expands. Fortunately, industrial automation provides robust solutions for the growing EV battery production sector that will help companies capitalize. Here’s how:

1) Efficiency gains with faster transport systems

Material handling is an important part of the process when assembling EV batteries. Housings need to be transferred to the production line, cells picked and inserted, and the battery pack moved and positioned for cleaning, assembly, testing, and packaging. Automated conveyor belts and autonomous cart systems transport products reliably and swiftly, moving component parts to the production line and collecting finished batteries.

Repetitive tasks like lifting, picking, and positioning are well-established candidates for automation. But advanced transport systems can also move at variable speeds, gaining time while in motion and decelerating the item as it reaches its target location, which compounds the increase in efficiency. These marginal time gains quickly add up to faster production cycles.

2) Precision material handling for every step

Battery assembly leaves little room for error. Tolerances are tight, and the safety implications for workers and consumers are significant. The equipment on an automated production line is programmed to perform tasks like wire bonding, plasma cleaning, and dispensing adhesives the same way every time. The result is a consistent, high-quality product and a repeatable, modular process—one with minimal risk of straying outside the bounds of heat, pressure, or other safety limits that could damage the finished battery.

3) Safety in production and performance

Vehicle batteries are hard-working systems, which is why production methods are carefully controlled to avoid damaging any components during assembly. To make sure the completed battery is functional and, more importantly, safe for use, the individual components and the finished product can also undergo multiple automated tests along the production line.

Robotic equipment enables the safer assembly techniques that build EV batteries, like wire bonding and laser welding, while automated electrical testing confirms that the assembled battery works as expected and isn’t leaking electrical current. These tests catch any flaws early in the process, reducing risk downstream and ensuring that the assembled batteries have the longest functional life possible.

4) Quality assurance through traceability

Tracking the history of a battery’s component parts is important both for ensuring the quality of the finished product, and for analyzing and improving production processes. With this information, manufacturers can verify that each part has completed all processing steps and passed every quality and safety check. Traceability data also allows manufacturers to quickly locate and address any issues within the production chain.

Tracking and tracing not just finished batteries, but all the parts that make them up, involves an enormous amount of data. This makes it an ideal task for advanced automation. Vision systems, for example, allow production equipment to confirm the identity of picked components and check for obvious defects. Barcode and RFID scanners can identify parts and update tracking records in real-time, while laser engraving creates permanent markers that will ensure traceability over the lifetime of the battery. Together, these systems can create a complete record of a battery’s production and service history.

5) Adaptability in changing markets

To stay nimble and respond to changes in demand, manufacturers need to balance process optimization with flexibility. Centralized, intelligent automation systems combined with advanced sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) can collect data at multiple points along a production line, helping manufacturers identify areas that are ripe for efficiency gains.

At the same time, robotic equipment and process controllers can be programmed to allow for multiple production modes, creating a variety of products on the same assembly line. Individual modules can even pivot to different types of work by automatically swapping the tool on a robotic arm. This kind of modular design, along with customizable programming, allows manufacturers to optimize their existing production lines while staying ready for the next challenge.

The electric vehicle boom is here. Battery manufacturers can meet the moment with automation.

Battery assembly is a complex and highly technical process with little margin for error—the kind of process where automation shines. The increase in demand for electric vehicles is set to outstrip current battery production, which means that manufacturers will need a strategy for scaling up. Automation can help businesses do more with existing resources and provide a template for future growth.

At Convergix Automation, we pride ourselves on our expertise with the latest automation technology, and the creative solutions we bring to growing industries. Whether you’re looking for big data analytics or a fully automated assembly line, we want to work with you to develop an automation solution that meets your needs. To discuss your business’s automation goals, contact us today.

3 Reasons Why Upgrading to Industry 4.0 Offers a Cybersecurity Opportunity

by Convergix Marketing | Jan 30, 2025 | Feature Article

Manufacturers should view upgrading their factories as a chance to revisit their cybersecurity and data governance practices.

The smart technology revolution that is currently taking the manufacturing sector by storm brings with it a range of operational advantages the full scope of which have yet to be fully grasped. From advanced robots that are able to perform complex and delicate operations in the blink of an eye, to big data analytics delivering nuanced insights into production processes, many factories are still looking for ways to incorporate these technologies to their greatest potential. And, as these technologies continue to evolve, the efficiencies they provide will only grow along with them.

However, if there is one stumbling block to the adoption of Industry 4.0, it is that many manufacturers have not yet taken the initial step of upgrading their IT systems and cybersecurity protocols. These outmoded systems have left the manufacturing sector unusually vulnerable to attack. The broad footprint of a modern factory, with its hundreds of Internet-enabled machines, is an added complication, because without comprehensive cybersecurity practices in place, one breach could compromise the broader system.

While this may seem like a cause for alarm, it is in fact an incentive to reassess data governance and cybersecurity practices more broadly. Here’s why meeting cybersecurity compliance standards and upgrading your automated factory systems are mutually supportive goals.

#1) Strong cybersecurity practices offer protection against broader business threats

To start, let’s review why industrial cybersecurity should be an operational priority for manufacturers. Even though stories break every day about large scale data breaches, security hacks, and infectious malware, many business owners continue to view security threats as something that could happen to others, but not themselves.

However, an investment in cybersecurity can save a business from more than just embarrassment. It can:

Retain customer trust. Consumers are growing increasingly weary of having their own private information compromised due to another entity’s negligence. When large-scale business operations are at stake, a breach of a partner’s identifiable information can mark the end of that relationship.
Avoid legal challenges. Businesses can be held accountable for financial damages if it is discovered that a security breach or data hack happened due to their own negligence. Documenting both your security practices and evidence that you followed them can save you from legal trouble.
Protect valuable IP and confidential information. Cybersecurity is more than a PR move. Your own information—including technical blueprints and operational details—can also be compromised. Moreover, industrial espionage often targets OEM suppliers on the assumption that they will be a weaker link.
Safeguard operations on the factory floor. Computer viruses don’t just target data. They can also hack operational equipment, either causing that equipment to malfunction, or holding it for ransom.

Reading the above, you may be tempted to think that you can avoid these threats by not investing in newer technology. However, many older machines still run on exploitable operating systems, even if they aren’t connected to the Internet. For instance, in 2010, a virus passed through a USB drive was responsible for a cyber-attack on an Iranian nuclear facility—proof that staying offline won’t save you.

Instead, make sure your modern factory can keep up with modern cyber threats. In the current cybersecurity arms race, most attacks search for weak links. Keeping your systems robust will deter would-be hackers who know there are easier targets elsewhere.

#2) Meeting cybersecurity compliance prerequisites allows manufacturers to bid on more projects

Anyone who has bid on government contracts, particularly for the Department of Defense, is familiar with the compliance standards required to handle this kind of work. The DoD isn’t the only one, however. Many other companies include cybersecurity requirements to protect their intellectual property, guard customer data, and to ensure confidential information about their operations stays safe.

Manufacturers may be used to highlighting features of their own facilities when bidding on contracts, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that robust cybersecurity practices—and the documentation to back them up—are just as strong a selling point. It’s not just about protecting against security threats, either. The business who can demonstrate the attention to detail required to guard against cyber-attacks and data leaks can reasonably argue that this care applies to other aspects of their business as well—from quality control to process management.

#3) Adopting advanced manufacturing processes strengthens factories competitively

By now, it’s well established that factory automation increases a manufacturing plant’s output, improves the quality of the final product, and reduces waste. As a result, modern plants are able to cut down on operating costs, mitigate the risk of broad product recalls, and offer lower prices to consumers. In some cases, factory automation can even enhance a product, by making possible various processes that are otherwise incompatible with a human-operated assembly.

Many of the most exciting Industry 4.0 advances, such as large-scale data collection or the Industrial Internet of Things, must be safeguarded against security threats. However, they are also better equipped to run more sophisticated cybersecurity programs. Just like keeping your operating system software up to date is essential for receiving security patches, keeping your factory technology up to date also helps you take advantage of new security features.

The advantages of advanced factory automation are too great to be undermined by poor cybersecurity.

The reality is that even manufacturers who haven’t fully upgraded their technology are not immune to cyberattacks. In fact, those running older systems are even more exposed to security threats given the known vulnerabilities of these systems, and the absence of the more sophisticated protections built into newer devices. This means that a factory upgrade presents a first-class opportunity to also bring in expert guidance to review your company’s data governance and cybersecurity policies and give them an upgrade as well.

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