Industrial automation—robotics, machine learning, and IIoT—demands more performance, more reliability, and more sustainability in the electronics that make it possible.
Fully integrated smart factories are the future. Their hallmark is highly efficient, always-on operation.
Enabling the unceasing operation of smart factories with state-of-the-art automation technology requires a look at the smaller, but vital enablers that drive them: electronics. Going one level deeper, the materials used in electronics are the primary determinants of performance and reliability—not only of the electronics, but of the entire automation system.
Henkel operates a 1.4 million-square-foot logistics hub in North America. The facility underwent a significant expansion and upgrade, utilizing Industry 4.0 technology such as automated handling systems, expanded use of variable frequency drives (VFDs), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), high-efficiency motors, robotics, and other smart factory capabilities.
Increased storage capacity
From 88,000 pallets to 200,000 pallets
Higher throughput
From 200 trucks a day to 1,000 trucks per day
Enhanced efficiency
Improved supply chain resource and process efficiency
Reduced costs
New software helps reduce energy consumption
Real-time agility
The facility responds in real-time to market changes
The most sophisticated automation system cannot achieve success with substandard electronics. One electronic failure can bring down an entire multi-million-dollar automation system that has been otherwise designed and deployed with precision. This is an often overlooked but crucial detail. Although electronics may be a “small” physical part of an overall industrial automation solution, they are, in many ways, the most significant.
The digital journey toward fully integrated smart factories is well underway—yet achievement remains elusive. According to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM):
38% of organizations expect factory-wide digitization to increase in the next two years
28% of manufacturers have smart operations today
76% of manufacturers expect to have smart operations in the next two years
Despite the low percentage of end-to-end integrated deployments, the benefits of AI-driven automation present a significant opportunity to organizations. Benefits go beyond enhanced product quality, cost savings, and great resource efficiency. According to McKinsey & Company, integrating AI in industrial manufacturing can lead to:
increase in production
increase in EBITA
AI and automation deployments are likely slowed by new challenges inherent to these new capabilities. For example:
- Automation systems are evolving, sophisticated, and interdependent
- Reliable operation depends on unfailing electronics
- Automation systems require higher-performing electronics
- Environmental sustainability is an increasingly important requirement
To meet these challenges, automation systems rely on innovative materials that increase electronic performance and reliability with sustainably produced solutions.
Henkel’s advanced material solutions can:
- Offer thermal management to dissipate operating heat
- Protect from harsh environmental conditions
- Embrace sustainable materials and practices throughout the supply chain
The bottom line: Automation systems and the electronics that make them possible must be designed for 24/7 reliability, thermal endurance, operating environment protection, and environmental sustainability.
A leading manufacturer needed to optimize an electronic control unit (ECU) used in an autonomous guided vehicle (AGV). Requirements include thermal performance of near 3.0 W/m-K and a dielectric breakdown voltage greater than 5kV. In addition, outgassing—collected volatile condensable materials (CVCM)--must be kept below 0.1% to avoid interference with other components. These performance targets help enable reliability during the ECU’s lifetime of 25 years.
Bergquist Gap Pad TGP HC3000 was the ideal solution to meet the manufacturer’s multi-faceted requirements. The gap pad provides very low assembly stress, easy handling for production efficiency, and gap filling with a thermal conductivity of 3.0 W/m-K. The gap pad’s formulation offers low outgassing to reduce potential contamination and interference.
Today, the manufacturer is successfully producing 50,000 ECUs per year and delivering strong end-use performance.
BERGQUIST LIQUI BOND TLB SA2000 thermally conductive adhesive met the manufacturer’s production and end-use performance requirements. It eliminated the need for mechanical fasteners and improved productivity by 20-30%, while reducing manufacturing costs by 15-20%. The AC/DC power supply achieved a thermal conductivity of 2.0 W/m-K, ensuring high reliability and meeting the demands of data center power consumption.
Advanced materials enable reliable, high-performance electronics, the backbone of industrial automation and AI. By providing thermal management, protection, integrity, and best practices, these materials help bolster automation solutions with reliability, longevity, and sustainability.
Our experts are here to learn more about your needs.
Our support center and experts are ready to help you find solutions for your business needs.