We are on the cusp of a new industrial revolution, some call it Industry 4.0, some call it Smart Manufacturing; it is the Internet of Things. IOT, alongside Big Data, has innumerable uses, from your Fitbit relaying the steps you’ve walked to an app on your phone, to your refrigerator sending you a text that you are out of milk, to monitoring an entire manufacturer’s production floor for inefficiencies. Manufacturing and production is poised to be the first large industry to truly benefit from IOT and Big Data. The merger of manufacturing technologies with information technologies is the “next big thing”.
Instead of batch level visibility in production, it will be possible to have unit level visibility for products in each step. Many manufacturing facilities are offline today, but recent research by SCM World suggests that it will drop to zero by 2020. Manufacturers understand the value that Internet of Things can bring to increase visibility, improve productivity and most importantly meet business demands, which are driven by insights from the physical world.
The typical manufacturing floor has hundreds, if not thousands, of different processes running simultaneously. Preventative and preemptive maintenance of machinery can be automatically handled via IOT. Any particular machine can be monitored through sensors that then relay that data to a central monitoring system. These sensors can then relay real-time information about any potential failure before it happens and notify service technicians, not only that service is needed, but what parts to bring with them. As another example, a hydraulic system can warn that there is a 30% chance of failure in the next 20 days; or a temperature sensor can notify workers when the system is out of spec. The use of IOT will alleviate the need for dedicated workers to stay in one place monitoring one system, which will increase efficiency. Having the real-time data from the sensors before a technician arrives can alleviate the need for technicians to leave and return with spare parts, which reduces the time taken for the service. Imagine a sensor that monitors air or water pressure. With any small change in pressure the sensor can shut down the process and alert maintenance staff, all before any defective parts are made. Imagine using real-time data analysis from a connected weather center to make smart decisions on where and when to procure raw materials so that their production won’t be affected because of inclement weather either locally or across the globe.
Internet of things companies in India
For any manufacturing business, losing precious manufacturing floor time is a big problem. Hours of no production can mean thousands, if not millions, in lost revenue.
With IOT in conjunction with Big Data within a networked manufacturing environment, a machine can communicate any output variation to downstream equipment, which can then automatically adjustment to ensure that the final product is within specifications.
IOT can be used to be more ecologically friendly as well. Sensors can monitor a room for occupancy and adjust the temperature and lighting if the room is unoccupied. Imagine no more lights left on in empty rooms and the lights turning on instantly when a worker enters. Thermostats can adjust the temperature of a room depending on how many occupants there are, all while the machines are still running.
Managers will be freed up from the production floor and desk via IOT. With Internet connectivity IOT can provide visibility and control capabilities for remote locations of a business, allowing for monitoring without human presence, reducing the need for extra manpower and travel. The ability to know exactly what is happening at a particular point in the production line from a handheld device is the future of manufacturing.
According to O’Reilly’s David Stephenson, technology currently being used has resulted in innovations that no one had previously thought possible. “The Internet of Things promises to eliminate massive information gaps about real-time conditions on the factory floor that have made it impossible to fully optimize production and eliminate waste in the past,” he says.
This is the new industrial revolution where manufacturing businesses have more visibility into their processes. Manufacturing companies that choose not to adopt IOT into their processes will be left behind by their counterparts who decide to fully integrate sensors into the manufacturing process. Businesses using IOT will be more efficient, faster, safer, and ultimately more profitable than those that do not.
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