Home | Digital Manufacturing | Digital Connectivity of machines

Digital connectivity of machines

Connecting machines means creating a communication channel between machines so that they can exchange information with each other. The channel can be wired or wireless (WiFi, Bluetooth, ...)



What "digital" means

Digital communication channel means that the information exchanged can be translated into binary information, i.e., as sequences of 0's and 1's, i.e. numbers.



Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of having digital communication are that it can automate actions following certain events, it can store information, it can make this information understandable to a computer, and it can transform it. In addition remote control is possible. The disadvantages are that for the use of such machines it is necessary to address all the computer security issues that plague computers. As a result, when such a machine is placed in a production environment, a risk analysis and an assessment of what, if any, actions need to be taken to mitigate or avoid the damage caused by any computer security issues.

Remote Access Control

Contact

Christian Werner
Institute for Research and Testing of the German Social Accident Insurance
Sankt Augustin, Germany

Christian.Werner(at)dguv.de

Members of the Project Group
News
March 2024

Use cases and practical examples on human factors, ergonomics and safe machines available

Read more: https://www.safe-machines-at-work.org/human-factors

Read more
Digital integration in machines and process industry

July 7th, 2023, Rome

Proceedings of the seminar

Emerging risks in industry 4.0

Innovative approaches for safety and security
Nov. 25th, 2019, Rome

Proceedings of the seminar

Publications

  • Fact Sheet No. 4 published: Carry out updates safely: indispensable even in small businesses!
    DE PDF 2nd issue, 03/2023 / EN PDF 1st issue, 07/2022
  • Fact Sheet No. 3: Shut the Door against Cyber Attacks on Small Businesses
    DE PDF 2nd issue, 03/2023 / EN PDF 1st issue, 10/2020
  • Fact Sheet No. 2: Safe Passwords in Small Enterprises
    DE PDF 2nd issue, 03/2023 / EN PDF 1st issue, 07/2022
  • Fact Sheet No. 1: Cyber Security in Small Enterprises
    DE PDF 2nd issue, 03/2023 / EN PDF 1st issue, 09/2019
  • Safety in additive manufacturing. Powder bed fusion/sintering
    EN Summary
    IT PDF
  • Digital transformation of technical systems with explosion risk
    DE PDF / EN PDF (English summary)
  • Digital manufacturing – challenges for occupational safety and health (OSH) due to digital transformation
    EN PDF
  • Occupational safety and health in the new digital world - XXI World Congress on Safety & Health at Work 2017 - Proceedings
    EN PDF
  • Digitisation of Production: General Targets of Cyberattacks and Prevention Strategy
    EN PDF