Future Factories

More Efficient
With factories accounting for about 40% of the world's energy consumption, improving manufacturing efficiency – starting with power conversion and motor control - is key for putting the planet on a more sustainable course. ST’s latest generation of smart power ICs and power devices can help meet this challenge while also reducing equipment size and cost.

More Intelligent and Aware
Machines that are aware of their environment provide new methods, such as smart tools, augmented reality, and touchless interfaces, of easier and safer interaction. A myriad of sensors continuously collect data on just about everything and through distributed processing turn it into useful information, allowing real-time monitoring for things like vibration detection and predictive maintenance for failure avoidance. ST’s unparalleled portfolio of MEMS, sensors, and NFC technologies will help you create the sensors networks required for smart industry.

More Connected
Machines connected inside the factory, to the supply chain and to the cloud are capable of sensor and actuator level communication, enabling real-time process analysis and offering the flexibility required for mass-customization of goods. This is achieved through known fieldbus protocols (Profibus, Modbus and IO-Link for example) used as backbones to enable advanced Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication that relies on wired (RS485 and Industrial Ethernet) or wireless (WiFi, Bluetooth or sub-1 GHz) connectivity to support OPC Unified Architecture or IPv6-based network infrastructures.

Safer
In Smart Industry, safety is an integral part of shop-floor design in order to provide a safer working environment for humans and assets. ST offers ICs with extended voltage ranges and performance compliant with the IEC 61508 specification, satisfying the SIL (Safety Integrity Level) requirements at a systems level.

Semiconductors are a Key Enabler to Smart Industry, and with over 30 years of experience in the design and manufacture of products for factory automation and industrial applications, ST can help build the factories of tomorrow with products and solutions that aid developers in resolving their design challenges