There is no doubt that IIoT is one of the biggest buzzwords in industry automation today. The IIoT has changed the way factories operate nowadays, and it will continue to impact industries in the future also. Digitalization is disrupting industries like never before, and particularly the Industrial Internet of Things is largely impacting the traditional manufacturing industry.
Due to the new phase in the Industrial Revolution, known as Industry 4.0, it’s now possible to collect and analyze data across machines in order to achieve faster, more flexible, and efficient industrial processes. Industry 4.0 is actually a name given to the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies which focuses on interconnectivity and real-time data monitoring.
This fourth industrial revolution includes cyber-physical systems, the Internet of things, cloud computing and cognitive computing. In the industrial setting, the technologies of Industry 4.0 make data readily available and enable remote monitoring, predictive maintenance, and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) calculations. Thus, this manufacturing revolution will potentially lead to boosting productivity, shifting economics, and fostering industrial growth.
Though many industries are already taking a keen interest in digitalization & IoT, industrial manufacturing is reaping the most benefits from IIoT. The applications of IIoT are wide-ranging but its ability to dig out data to provide business insights is a huge benefit for manufacturing. For this reason, experts are of the opinion that industrial manufacturing will benefit most from IoT and can generate more revenue.
Let’s consider how homeowners benefit from the wireless technologies of a smart home. It connects homeowners to almost anything in the house and allows remote access via smartphone. In the same way, manufacturing plants and factories can benefit from IoT by getting more visibility, analytics and remote access to wirelessly connected machines.
Benefits of IIoT for Manufacturing plants and Factories
As mentioned above, IIoT technologies are useful for companies to gain access to factory-wide data. Below, we’ve listed the biggest benefits of IIoT technologies for factory automation and increased efficiencies.
- Provide Visibility and Remote Access
Technology is a great option when plant managers want to remotely monitor systems quickly, as well as identify and resolve problems. When the tower lights are equipped with wireless communication, it enhances the visibility considerably as it not only displays a visual indication of an event but also transmits wireless alerts. As such, operational problems can be identified and addressed quickly.
- Predictive Maintenance
The IIoT technologies are also immensely helpful in increasing machine uptime and avoid machine failures. This is because of the predictive maintenance which allows for more accurate planning of machine maintenance. Unlike the traditional method, IoT enabled devices to allow maintenance decisions to be made based on the historical and real-time data from the machine itself.
- Interconnectivity
The use of IIoT technologies is not confined to machines optimization. It also offers interconnectivity for flawless communication among machines, components, and people in the industrial setting. The wireless technologies help increase the efficiency of manual production lines. Simply by using pushbuttons or switches and tower lights, machine operators can alert managers when assistance is needed on the line.
