Network topology will be key

SAE 100 Future look: From the perspective as a global supplier of automotive manufacturing technology, especially in the area of machine control, Siemens views the issue of network topology as the key driver for the future.

The entire automotive horizon-from powertrain, body-in-white, assembly, and the paint shop at OEMs to the global supply chain of parts, machinery, and equipment vendors-will be impacted by the market's emerging trends in this area, as they reshape the entire manufacturing environment.

As the logistics of supply have already changed the face of our industry, so will the composition of the factory floor, in terms of motion control, hard-real-time definitions, and especially the protocols of communication between engineering, production, maintenance, and delivery.