Impact of Internet of Things in the manufacturing sector

Internet Of Things

Although there may be many people who proclaim that there will a day when the global industry will accept the Internet of Things (IoT) the majority of the industry has accepted the fact that IoT is already directly affecting the global industry. In fact, the impact of the Internet of Things on the global industry is there for all of us to observe.

The Internet of Things is responsible for many productive outputs such as changing the business models altogether, boosting output and even automating lots of processes throughout the industry. But if you minutely study the reports and analysis then you will note that no other sector has been impacted more than the manufacturing sector which has been impacted fiercely and excellently by the technological revolution that we call Internet of Things.

What does the term Internet of Things actually mean?

If you refer to the Oxford Dictionary then you shall find that it is defined as “the interconnection of computing devices embedded in our daily life through Internet which enables them to send as well as receive data”. Now as the number of connected devices increases the day by day so does the hype around the term IoT.

In fact, in the year 2009 the number of devices outnumbered the people who were connected to the Internet and the trend seems to be going forward nonetheless. Now the concept of IoT is relatively new but irrespective of that it has managed to grab quite a large number of eyeballs and garnered huge worldwide attention especially in the industrial space.

One may ask why? Well there are four simple reasons behind that, firstly IoT provides better management in the top and bottom line, it has more operational efficiencies, it improves the ability of decision making and finally it streamlines the supply chain.

IoT and manufacturing

If we look at the scenario simply through a manufacturer’s perspective then the reality is apparently visible. The manufacturers have realized that sensors are way more efficient as well as more affordable. On top of that wireless IP connectivity has the capacity to drastically decrease the cost barriers to connectivity and automation.

Manufacturers from all the respective fields such as chemical, automotive, electronics and even durable goods have started investing heavily and rapidly in all kinds of IoT devices. The manufacturers who had utilized the IoT solutions back in 2014 have received an average increase in revenues up to 28.5% between the year 2013 and 2014. These figures are as per reports and surveys of TATA Consultancy.

Management and network control of all the manufacturing equipment is one of the primary things IoT has brought to foray in the world of industrial and manufacturing applications. Apart from that control of the whole manufacturing process along with assets and situation management are the other aspect that IoT takes care effortlessly in manufacturing scenario.

The new modern IoT enabled intelligent systems are responsible for rapid and smart manufacturing of newer products in the industries. Products demands are also met with dynamic responses and optimization of the whole manufacturing and production along with the supply chain networks are also established by the combined effort of the networking machinery, control systems and sensors.

Digital control systems are aided to large extent by the boons of IoT. It helps to automate various process controls as well as service information systems so that the safety and security of the plant is optimized.

What exactly is Smart Manufacturing?

If you want copybook definitions then we can provide two from the books of leading organizations. First SMLC defines Smart Manufacturing as the capability to work out complex problems of the present and the also of the future through an open infrastructure allowing the solutions to be applied at business speed and creating advantageous values all the while. As per the definition provided by the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) Smart technology refers to systems that are collaborative, entirely integrated which are capable of responding in real time so that the ever-changing demands of the customers and the factory conditions are met properly.

A simpler and practical approach to both the above complex definition would describe smart manufacturing as the usage of real-time data combined with technology at the required time, location and form that is suitable for the machines and the people demanding it. Many analysts predict Smart Manufacturing as the Industrial Revolution of the next generation which like all mot other recent advances has everything to do with tech connectivity and data contextualization.

How does IoT help smart manufacturing?

We all know and acknowledge the fact that the future prospects of manufacturing is rapidly advancing and the advent of IoT has eventually boosted this advance. Firstly, it has digitized the whole concept of smart manufacturing. The world of manufacturing has witnessed many revolutionizing incidents since the steam engine’s invention to the advent of electronic systems for fulfilling automated manufacturing. Manufacturing industries of all sorts such as food, electronic, clothing, plastic etc have incorporated the essence of modern technology in their everyday production process. Similarly, the technology of IoT has been instrumental in supporting many manufacturing companies in their day to day activities including production. The future of Smart manufacturing is in the capable hands of IoT and the way it is being implemented over the next decade.

What opportunities have IoT brought about in the world of manufacturing?

The Internet of Things have opened up many doors for the pioneers of manufacturing. There are certain aspects of manufacturing that got heavily impacted due to the positive effect of IoT. The revolutionary changes that IoT have brought into the world of manufacturing can be largely attributed to the increasing number of opportunities that it has ushered upon the manufacturing scenario. Let us discuss in brief about a few of them.

1. Predictive maintenance

Most companies use a preventive maintenance approach that depends largely on the calendar. IoT helps manufacturing industries to implement predictive maintenance which utilizes real data in order to mark machineries that requires attention so that any kind of error might be avoided.

The advantage of using such technology is that suppose when a sensor senses some signal within its acceptable limits yet if it is abnormal when compared to the previous readings then the AI (Artificial Intelligence) will mark it as an anomaly. For instance, any kind of temperature spikes or abnormal vibrations or fluctuations in current can be picked up by it.

The benefit of the predictive maintenance approach is that it has the potential to conserve the resources in order to allow technicians to spend sufficient time on the machines that show errors and anomalies and therefore require attention instead of going through random check-ups of machines pending regular inspections. This saves them lots of time and increases efficiency as well.

2. Remote Monitoring

Internet connectivity has made mobile devices capable of managing larger and complex equipment from remote locations. That relieves the operators of having to be in the vicinity of each and every machine. IoT has made this remote monitoring a lot easier.

With newer devices being developed day after day there are little chances that any operator will ever have to visit the site of the machine for further inspection and management. Sensors, transmitter and receivers are doing all the hard work in this case but they are ably supported by the strong technological boon of Internet of Things.

This not only saves a lot of time and money but makes it a lot easier for the operatives to deal with each and every situation. They now no longer have to visit far off places and dwell in uninhabited areas just to monitor a machine or equipment.

Now when monitoring becomes so much efficient production faces a boost and the manufacturing industry advances rapidly. Such is the power of IoT.

3. Optimization of the process

Let us take the help of a simple analogy. Compare the use of analysis of real-time data as a torch used to illuminate all the screws of the machine that require tightening.

Any well-maintained shop or industry knows how to tackle the bigger problems, problems that are larger on scale but they seldom learn how to deal with the smaller ones. With the help of IoT you will have access to all the sensor data that makes the smaller matters visible which otherwise remains unchecked and mismanaged therefore leading to significant losses.

The beauty of using sensors is that they can pick up errors you weren’t eve searching for even if that glitch occurs every other day inside the production line. The bottleneck glitch might be correcting itself up until now but it needs to be tended to in course of time. Maybe your conveyer belt ha one empty space which should be filled with a product. These small issues get overlooked when they should be properly managed.

Early investigation of the data leads to correct identification of the anomalies hence correcting them in a matter of time.

Conclusion

The three opportunities mentioned above are just basic aspects that are exploited by IoT in the world of manufacturing. It allows the manufacturers to indulge in efficient production as well as better decision making. More and more manufacturers are exploiting IoT and extracting benefits for their productions.

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