SPECIAL REPORTS 38 HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS March 2026 www.hpmag.co.uk Approximately 92% of manufacturing executives see smart manufacturing as essential to maintaining competitiveness. However, smart manufacturing doesn’t begin with automation and analytics — it starts with data, and that data starts at the sensor level. Embedded sensors generate real-time data that drives predictive maintenance, reduces downtime and optimises operations. They monitor key physical parameters such as temperature, pressure, vibration and position across factory environments and automated systems. However, industrial settings expose sensors to electrical noise, mechanical vibration and temperature fluctuations that often weaken, distort or corrupt raw sensor signals. To turn these raw signals into meaningful insights, the data must be accurately conditioned, digitised and transmitted in real time. Traditionally, this processing relies on multiple discrete components, including general-purpose signal conditioning integrated circuits (ICs). The limits of standardisation Off-the-shelf ICs, including generalpurpose signal conditioning ICs, provide basic sensor data processing but lack optimisation for industrial conditions. On the factory floor, extreme temperatures, mechanical vibration and electromagnetic interference can easily compromise the According to a Deloitte survey, only 34% of manufacturers have integrated sensor technology into their factories — despite its importance as a first step toward smarter, more productive operations. In fluid power systems, sensors monitor parameters such as pressure, flow, vibration and position to support predictive maintenance and system optimisation. Ross Turnbull* explains how ASICs provide this intelligence, integrating sensing, signal conditioning and communication in a single chip. accuracy, reliability and lifespan of standard components. ICs also often consume more power than necessary for their specific application. This has significant implications, reducing operational lifetime in wireless systems and higher energy costs in wired ones. Industrial sensors constrained by strict power and thermal limits thus face more frequent maintenance and increased total cost of ownership due to inefficient components. Further complicating matters, these ICs typically form part of multi-chip sensor solutions that require additional external components for filtering, amplification and communication. This increases system size and complexity, complicating integration in space-constrained designs and introducing potential points of failure that reduce long-term robustness. Tailored to the task Custom IC solutions address these challenges by integrating multiple critical sensor functions onto a single, purpose-built chip — significantly Smarter sensors, smarter factories Ross Turnbull is Director of Business Development at application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) expert Swindon Silicon Systems
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