The Industrial Internet of Things is the use of the Internet of Things and Connected Devices in Industries. IoT incorporates machine learning and big data technology, harnessing the sensor data, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication and automation technologies that have existed in industrial settings for years. The driving philosophy behind the IIoT is that smart machines are better than humans at accurately, consistently capturing and communicating data. This data can enable companies to pick up on inefficiencies and problems sooner, saving time and money and supporting business intelligence efforts. In manufacturing specifically, IIoT holds great potential for quality control, sustainable and green practices, supply chain traceability and overall supply chain efficiency.
Advantages
- Better Predictive and Preventive Maintenance
- Real Time Parameter Monitoring
- Real Time Analysis of Factory Throughput
- Machine to Machine Communication enhances automated coordination and saves manual intervention
- A holistic approach towards data enables the administration take analytical decisions in the benefit of organisation
The connected factory as it exists today is a relatively closed environment, designed to communicate within the plant network and not necessarily with the outside world, with or through the Internet. Most companies are quite comfortable with that; the Internet can be a scary and threatening place. So one of the first decisions companies face when considering IIoT is whether the benefits are sufficient to overcome the risk of making all that detailed company information accessible through the Internet and leaving internal systems vulnerable to hacking, viruses and destructive malware.
Taking advantage of IIoT
Why would a company want to enable the Internet connection? A connection to the Internet allows access to IIoT data and supporting applications from virtually any device, any time, from any place in the world. Functional managers can check on specific machines, schedules, inventories, etc. at any time, in full detail, no matter where they are. Executives can drill down to study situations and analyze performance and results when at home or on the go. More importantly, perhaps, IIoT with Internet connectivity can provide hands-on visibility and control capabilities for remote locations, subcontracted manufacturing plants or suppliers’ factories. Although much intra-factory communications take place over an Ethernet network, many existing devices use proprietary protocols and many are not Internet-enabled. Can these existing devices play a role in a connected IIoT enterprise? The short answer is maybe — with limitations. The bigger question is whether they all have to be replaced by fully Internet-enabled IIoT devices. Again, the answer is not a simple yes or no. Strategy and tactics for implementing IIoT must align with a company’s goals and concerns. An all-in commitment means the eventual replacement of non-compliant controllers and devices so that all detailed data is available to the network and authorized remote users. This strategy requires the most attention to security and access control and the most vigilance on a continuing basis. It’s possible that some of the existing equipment can be upgraded or modified to fit in with an IIoT implementation and not have to be replaced.
Shalaka has IIoT solutions catering towards
- Preventive and Predictive Maintenance
- Facility Management
- Real time analysis of different parameters
- Correlating data obtained from different
- Control over function of equipment
- Retrofit existing equipment to enable data logging and enable basic IoT applications
Shalaka is partnering with Industries and Factories and working towards the development of Smart Factories.