Implementing the IoT in Industry (IIoT) has already been improving efficiency, productivity, and safety in the work environment of factories worldwide.
With that, its future looks very promising, involving the most diverse sectors of the industry. The big news comes with the idea of having a productive manufacturing plant, as we know it, and a true network connected by computerized digital devices working together with industrial machines.
With this new tool, possibilities arise to collect and share data, which can be applied to define better business strategies and improve process efficiency.
The collected data can also be analyzed to provide visibility (and greater control) in real-time of the operation of the product preparation or distribution processes or even to transmit alerts of breakdowns or failures of the machinery even before they occur.
The collected data can be used in various ways, all leading to a transformation in the factory’s operating process and bringing many benefits, as we will see below.
Advantages Of The Industrial Internet Of Things
The cases with IIoT applications have been growing a lot, showing that every industry can take advantage of this resource, not only in manufacturing.
Improving Efficiency
The most commonly cited benefit of implementing IoT in the industry is the improvement in efficiency – companies save time and money as they use their interconnected devices.
Speaking of efficiency, an interesting fact is that from a human perspective, you might get the impression that you have optimized the process as much as possible after careful tuning and studying the system. Still, there is a human limit to this process improvement.
This means that only when this optimization is taken to a “machine level”, that is, with the auxiliary use of sensors and control techniques, is it possible to carry out improvements in a much more reasonable way and to perceive many variables not previously considered that can be used as parameters for finer adjustments.
In addition, many enterprises waste money due to their energy inefficiency. Whether by using lighting unnecessarily or by machines operating without being used. Electricity spent in a banal way greatly increases the price of operations, especially those carried out on a large scale.
For example, let’s think of a construction company. If management notices that all the heavy machinery operators use is turning on even when not in use, sensors can be implemented. These sensors will not allow the machine to be activated except when the operator is sitting on the machine.
Integration with IIoT can help improve your process on a large-scale network, increasing your savings even at the most basic level of enterprise spending.
Decrease Downtime In Production
Many statistics prove the negative impact on production with long downtimes with industrial machines.
Despite being a parameter more than recognized by companies, some factories have a limited budget and older equipment, which sometimes brings great challenges to the business.
One of these challenges would be improving the availability of machines, increasing their reliability so that breakdowns are less frequent and the need to replace them is as small as possible.
Implementing the Internet of Things in the industry offers a cost-effective way to address this issue, all through the functionality provided with predictive maintenance and machine monitoring, for example.
Some results revealed that IoT solutions have reduced machine breakdowns by 70% and general maintenance by 30%.
Security Improvements
The Internet of Things in the industry has even been used to ensure the safety of employees, an issue mainly stimulated by cases of accidents registered on the factory floor every year, many related to machine failures.
In addition to greatly facilitating predictive maintenance, as mentioned in the previous item, the IIoT can monitor the workers’ commitment to individual safety, contributing to a safer work environment.
In addition to the concern for the employee, care for the product’s safety must also be highlighted. For example, some pharmaceutical and food products are temperature sensitive and require climate-controlled environments at all stages of production, from manufacturing to distribution. IoT devices can well meet all these needs of the industry.
Also Read: How The Internet Of Things Can Transform Marketing