INDUSTRY 4.0 & IoT


Why interconnected production is key to encouraging growth and increasing resilience in the Irish manufacturing sector


If Ireland wants to be a bigger powerhouse globally when it comes to manufacturing output and innovation, we need to stand up to the everchanging outside forces affecting our production quota.


By Eoin Garrigan, Business Development Manager for Ireland, SEW-EURODRIVE


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ver since 2020, supply chain shocks and  become the norm, leaving engineers and


 keeping lines moving. Many factories have hundreds of drives, gears,  these components operate in isolation, never sharing data, remaining controlled from one central  Minor anomalies in machinery performance don’t get picked up, meaning production can come to a halt through just a single drive failure, increasing  


SO, WHAT’S THE FIX? A good starting point is increasing the connectivity of your production line. While this might sound like an arduous task on the face of it, in reality it can be done in baby   synchronised system that forecasts issues before they hit production. This shift begins by addressing the challenges that I’m hearing crop up in so many conversations  energy grids to the fragmented, cross-border supply chains.


We’re up against it in this country - Irish energy costs are amongst some of the highest in Europe    operating hours to keep a handle on costs. The manufacturers that are proving to be the most successful in all of this - not just in Ireland but globally - are the ones that that have made the  Frustrated at their already stretched engineering    connectivity.





 maintenance planning gain greater insight into  motor health.


BUT WHAT’S THE IMPACT? Simply put, real time monitoring through  or excessive vibration before they spiral into bigger problems like complete drive failure. In industries   


22 May/June 2026 Irish Manufacturing


 times.


On the production line, energy costs drop and    further modernise your factory.    existing team, the long-term cost of standing still is far greater. And, if a complete introduction of sensors and  like too big a shift, making the upgrade from IE1 or IE2 motors to IE3 and higher can help reduce your yearly operational spend too. 


 choices and practical improvements to deliver lasting impact on your production.   global counterparts.


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