Industry 4.0 is a buzzword that we hear regularly. This is about making companies smarter and more automated. While the third Industrial Revolution focused on switching from mechanical and analog processes to digital ones, Industry 4.0 focuses on deepening the impact of digital technologies by making machines more self-sufficient and allowing them to “talk” to each other. In this way, machines receive enormous amounts of data to analyze and base choices on.
An important part of Industry 4.0 is: Industrial IoT (IIoT). It describes the Internet of Things in various industries such as: manufacturing, logistics, oil and gas, transportation, energy/utilities, mining and metals, aviation and other industrial sectors. The industrial IoT was initially focused on optimizing operational efficiency, automation and maintenance. But in recent times, this has expanded further to intelligent manufacturing, smart industry, asset performance management and industrial control. In this article we discuss various applications within IIoT.
Another application realized by IIoT is the ability to control the quality of products at every stage: from the raw materials used in the process, to the way they are transported (via smart tracking applications), to the reactions of the end customer once the product is received.
This information is very important to analyze the efficiency of the company and make the necessary changes when failures are identified. In this way, processes are optimized and problems in the production chain are quickly identified. It has also been proven to be essential for risk prevention in more delicate industries, such as pharmaceuticals or the food industry.
By connecting IoT-enabled devices with sensor points (temperatures, vibrations, voltages, etc.) to other devices, manufacturers can obtain essential maintenance data. With this kind of information, the current condition of machines can be estimated, warning signals can be determined and sent and corresponding repair processes can be activated.
In this way, IoT changes the maintenance of devices, foreseeing a failure well in advance. It also leads to cost savings over traditional preventive measures because the actions are taken exactly when they are needed.
By having valid data in a timely manner, managers can identify which devices need to be recovered. IoT can extend equipment life, increase plant safety and reduce the risk of accidents. Using IoT, you can vastly improve your company's predictive repair/maintenance capabilities.
Another important IIoT application is the automated management of equipment, allowing one centralized system to control and monitor all business processes.
This technology also makes it possible to control multiple factories in different geographic locations. This gives companies great power by monitoring the progress of production in real time. And also to analyze the data they obtain with regard to their processes. With the collected data, processes can be analyzed and optimized remotely.
More and more manufacturing companies are inclined to implement asset tracking. IoT technology combined with the development of apps for smartphones and tablets makes it possible to obtain real-time asset information and make decisions.
The main task of tracking lies in discovering and overseeing crucial assets within the supply chain (raw materials, containers and finished products). Applications like these allow you to track inventory, detect thefts and violations, and dramatically optimize logistics.
IoT-based asset tracking helps manufacturers calculate movable equipment usage and take measures to shorten idle time and improve utilization.
The examples are endless for IoT in Industry. Inspired by these IoT examples for the industry sector? We are happy to think along with you in finding the right connectivity. IoT gives you the opportunity to optimize the quality, sustainability and efficiency of your activities. For more information, please contact our IoT specialists at;sales@comgate.io
We try to contact you within one working day.
Fill in the information below and register as a reseller