IIC Announces Smart Printing Factory Testbed

The Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) announced this week their new smart printing factory testbed, led by IIC member Fujifilm and supported by Fujitsu, IBM, Toshiba, and Real-Time Innovations (RTI).

The Smart Printing Factory Platform is the next-generation of factory-based printing. It collects job status, machine condition, and production data using sensors integrated into the printers, allowing factory managers to recognize issues and respond to them immediately.

See also: New IIC Testbed Focuses on AI-Driven Manufacturing Optimization

“The Smart Printing Factory Testbed is a perfect example of an IIoT application that will help improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of an industrial application through IoT-based automation,” said IIC Executive Director Dr. Richard Soley. “We’re excited that IIC members are working on a cutting-edge problem like smart printing for factories.”

Managers are able to control the printing equipment through an IT/OT management console. For legacy devices without sensors, managers are able to attach sensors that can work in a similar way.

The testbed aims to establish the necessity for smart printing in factories and improve the capability of the sensors. Printing factories regularly use printers that run legacy software and are not connected to an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platform, making it harder for managers to identify problems.

“As in other manufacturing industries, the printing industry is required to respond to mass customization and must improve processes in order to stay competitive. However, replacing a legacy printing system with a fully automated one is not easy because companies use equipment from various manufacturers,” said Fujifilm IIoT Team Leader Izumi Watanabe.

“An open ecosystem is the best way to connect equipment from many manufacturers. An open ecosystem will also allow factory operators to analyze data and integrate new printing developments more easily. We look forward to working with IIC member companies to make improvements on printing industry processes and technologies.”