“Smart technology” and “intelligence” are two terms that are frequently heard in plants throughout the world. But what do these words really mean, and how will they impact your other operations?

Nowadays, machines and their controls are being endowed with more of the analytical capabilities of their human counterparts, so they can make better operating decisions and save power and other expenses more quickly and easily. These skills may be rooted in combinations of more powerful microprocessors, better software, more sophisticated robotics, more pervasive networks or cloud-based data processing, but, whatever their source, they're enabling new levels of efficiency for machine builders and their end users.

To learn more about motion control, read “Motion Control Joins the Efficiency Revolution” from Control Design.