PC’s Connected Factory Initiative Subcommittee Vote Finalizes the Connected Factory Exchange (CFX) Standard

IPC announces unanimous ballot approval of IPC-2591, Connected Factory Exchange (CFX) by the 2-17 Connected Factory Initiative Subcommittee. The electronics industry now has an industry standard it can use to quickly and easily implement Industry 4.0 in its manufacturing operations. IPC plans to release the standard which includes open-source software in the weeks ahead.

IPC CFX offers tremendous value to electronics manufacturers. EMS companies can set up seamless data communication between all equipment on their lines and track production on all the equipment from any part of the world in real time. Machine vendors have one plug-and-play data communication solution for customers, reducing time and travel spent on customized programming for customers. OEMs can also utilize the standard to enhance real-time control of product quality, from board assembly to box build.

Because it is an industry standard, IPC CFX creates a level playing field for any company large or small to prepare for Industry 4.0 or to simply benefit from the machine-to-business data communication. The standard also was developed with simplicity in mind. Rather than days or even weeks required to implement new equipment into a line, IPC CFX can be loaded and fully workable in a matter of hours.

IPC CFX defines all three critical elements required for a true plug and play industrial IoT standard: a message protocol, an encoding mechanism and a specific content creation element. Its benefits are made possible without the need for middleware, delivering significant cost savings to the manufacturer as well as improved solution reliability.

David Bergman, vice president, IPC standards and training states, “The effect of IPC CFX on the industry is to bring technology-based optimization for all aspects of manufacturing operations, making the adoption of automation easier and more effective, as well as bringing enhancement of flexibility. IPC recognizes the strong contribution from all those involved in the creation of the standard from the beginning, drawn from a committee of many hundreds of industry equipment and technology vendors, who have been instrumental in this revolutionary step towards digital factory standards.”

For more information on IPC CFX, visit www.ipc-cfx.org.