Manufacturing
Everything, and everyone, connected
The Internet of Things (IoT) is revolutionizing the manufacturing industry, and you are at a disadvantage if you are not taking advantage of it.
By 2023, there will be 50 billion connected devices worldwide, twice as many as today. The most significant implication of this transformation is that everything, and everyone, will be connected.
The forecast as quoted when this article was published, in November 2022.
The movement
Five foundational tenets of IoT
Augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), cloud computing and big data are often associated with IoT, but the movement rests on five foundational tenets.
Autonomous services and systems
Shared services and platforms
Integrated systems
Dynamic business models
New forms of leadership
The benefits
Benefits of IoT in manufacturing
All industries are becoming connected at different levels. With the IoT, manufacturers can take advantage of greater visibility, automation and data analysis.
Quality
Quality control
Quality control is the process of ensuring that products meet the customer's specifications. The first step is to identify potential problems before they occur.
If you know that your product has a defect rate of 10% and you want to reduce it to 5%, for example, you need to identify which parts are causing defects so they can be replaced or fixed. That means collecting data from each part as it comes off a production line, and this is where IoT comes into play.
IoT allows manufacturers to monitor their production lines in real time and collect data from each part as it comes off the line, so the company can identify which parts are causing defects before they reach customers' hands.
Maintenance
Predictive maintenance
Industrial IoT (IIoT) is the use of sensors, software and other technologies to automate and optimize industrial operations.
IIoT is not a new concept, but it is growing in popularity among manufacturers as they look for ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs. It helps with predictive maintenance: using sensor data and analytics tools to detect potential equipment failures before they occur, which reduces the time workers need to troubleshoot problems or fix issues that arise.
Take a factory that uses sensors to monitor the temperature in different areas of the facility:
Sensors watch the temperature
A drift shows early
An alert goes out
A technician checks
Predictive maintenance can also save money by reducing the downtime associated with repairs.
On Thinger.io, the alert is the job of rules: they watch every reading around the clock and act the moment a condition is met, with an email, a webhook or an action on the device. See Alerts & Rules.
Safety
More operational safety
IoT is the next wave of technology that will help bring more operational safety to manufacturing.
IoT devices help with monitoring and automation through a combination of sensors and actuators connected to software systems. That gives constant updates on the status of machines and equipment, and it also allows remote control over the machines, which is especially helpful in emergencies or other situations where immediate action may be needed.
Energy
Smart metering
In manufacturing, a lot of variables can affect your bottom line. Take electricity usage.
A conventional meter
- Not always accurate
- Affected by inclement weather
- Affected by the time of day, if it is not set up properly
How much energy is the factory using?
IoT in every meter
- Real-time data on how much power each machine uses
- When it uses it, and what kind of power
- Better decisions on where to spend on maintenance
- Less unnecessary electricity use across the factory
With IoT technology in all of your meters, you know exactly how much energy your factory is using, and you can find ways to reduce waste throughout it.
Logistics
Smart packaging
Smart packaging uses sensors inside the package that connect to the internet and send data about the product's condition back to the manufacturer.
Condition in transit
Inventory, monitored remotely
Conclusion
A better-connected industry
As IoT becomes more widely used in manufacturing, many people have noticed key benefits, such as improved processes and overall efficiency.
Many companies are now looking into how best to implement IoT as part of their overall strategy to increase profits and save money. As the industry becomes better connected, more companies will be able to benefit from it.
Bring IoT to your factory floor
Connect machines, sensors and meters to one platform, and act on what they report.
