Hybrid computing systems in Industry 4.0

It seems that new computing methodologies are released every other year. In recent years much of the focus has been put on converting legacy systems to cloud solutions. Widespread adoption of cloud technology in all industries has helped to drive the cost of these solutions down. While cloud solutions are helping enterprises and individuals stay up to date with the latest technological and security advancements, they require a tremendous amount of data transmission.

Thirty years ago, the global distribution of sheet metal cutting machine-tools was dominated by the oxycut variety (large thicknesses) and, to a lesser extent, the plasma variety (small thicknesses). There was a niche for punching machines along with water jet and laser machines. The latter were aimed at thicknesses less than 5mm and were expensive. Since then, the trend has shifted, shrugging oxycut in favor of other technologies according to thicknesses.

One of the most highly technologically-developed fields in the industry is tube manufacturing, with regard to the development of both machine operations and software solutions that solve a plethora of issues customers face. The key, of course, is the ability to respond to and solve a multitude of potential scenarios, considering that there are a number of fundamental variables in this field.