  Due to the increasing complexity of modern automatic machines typically used
in several industrial applications, the need for assistive technologies is
becoming very relevant. Typical approaches consist in designing advanced and
adaptive human-machine interfaces (HMIs) that can be effectively used by any
operator and that provide guided procedures for the most common situations.
However, when dealing with complex systems, infrequent and unforeseen
situations may happen, whose solution require the experience owned by a limited
number of skilled operators. To this end, in this paper we propose an
industrial social network concept to allow an effective exchange of information
among the operators and to facilitate the solution of unforeseen events, such
as unscheduled maintenance activities or troubleshooting.
