Trends are emerging in the Automation Industry as they try to become more efficient and safe. Some commercial trends are slowly finding their way into the Automation Industry such as cloud systems and mobile devices.
Safety is an important aspect of any industry and injury is preventable with the right approach. Now more than ever, engineers are receiving risk assessment training before designing for applications. If engineers can foresee risk they have a better chance of being able to incorporate safety precautions into their design. Engineers can also use facility settings and the local environment to ensure safety when machines are integrated into the factory. An example of safety design is the use of RFID tags to control access to interlock switches to make the machines safer.
For a while industry professional have had smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices. But, when it came to accessing plant operating information they would have to be at a workstation. Now, apps are being developed for everything including for Industrial Automation. With the same simple press of an on-screen icon, you can access manufacturing information from wherever you are located in the world!