How Is Iot Enhancing Industrial Automation And Efficiency?
IoT aka the Internet of Things refers to the network of appliances, physical devices, vehicles and other objects which are embedded with software, sensors and network connectivity which allows them to collect and share data. Business industries are using IoT in different ways to improve their productivity and for more development.
IoT plays a crucial role in the industrial automation as it connects sensors, devices and systems in a way that has never experienced before. The application of IoT in the industrial automation sector will bring machines to operate efficiently and prevent downtime and ultimately increasing productivity.
In this blog, we will discuss how IoT is enhancing the industrial automation and efficiency.
What do you mean by industrial automation?
Industrial automation is basically the application of controls system such as computers and in order to manage different processes and machinery in industries. In order to replace human involvement, it uses technology model to perform things which requires the labour of human instead. It is implemented by using various technologies such as programmable logic controllers, supervisory control and data acquisition systems, industrial personal computers and IoT.
IoT is altering the ways of operation of industries in the industrial automation sector. It enables factories machines, systems and gadgets to connect with one another and to optimise operations. The adoption of industrial automation and IoT is improving the decision making process and increasing the effectiveness of operation along with minimising downtime.
IoTs power of automation lies in the capacity to collect and then process massive volumes of data from devices. It enables enterprises to automate the complicated procedures and make adjustment without human involvement.
How IoT is playing a part in industrial automation?
In the industrial sector, machines, humans are interconnected and they exchange data and make decisions. Suppose, there is overheating in a particular part of machine on a production line. The sensor detects it and communicates this information. The system adjusts the operation of machine to prevent any further damage and alert a human operator to take actions.
There are various ways through which IoT integrates into industrial automation. Some of them are listed below:
- IoT devices can collect a large amount of data in real time during the process.
- IoT collects data which is then sent to central system where it is further analysed in order to derive meaningful insights. Various patterns from trends are identified through machine learning algorithms and advanced analytics method which can be further used to optimise processes or to predict the failure of equipment.
- The insights can be used to optimise industrial process.
- It allows the control of machinery and process remote monitoring as well.
- By continuously monitoring the condition and performance of machinery, it can’t predict the potential equipment failures which leads to cost saving and extending the life of the equipment.
Application of IoT in Industrial Automation
- Agriculture: IoT has revolutionised the industrial sector. Through the sensors, various factors including crop growth, soil moisturise levels, crop health and weather conditions can’t be provided with a precise data. It reduces waste and increases the yield.
- Manufacturing: IoT is revolutionizing the manufacturing area by monitoring the process in real time through a network of sensors. Sensors can collect data including pressure, vibration, visual information, temperature. The data can be further analysed to detect a slight change from the standard parameters. Hence, it helps to reduce any wastage and ensures the quality of the product.
Advantages of IoT in Industrial Automation
- It has optimised industrial processes by real time monitoring and data analysis which has led to increased productivity and efficiency.
- It can be used to track and analyse the process of production of a product, ensuring the quality of the output and reducing the rates of wastage.
- It enhances the safety of workplace by monitoring the environmental conditions by protecting both employees and assets.
- It offers analysed insights which can be used in strategic planning. These analysed data insights are quite helpful for the businesses to grow and adapt and respond to the changes in the business market.
- It can monitor as well as make changes instantly by providing real time data from machines which avoid expensive down time and maintenance process to operate seamlessly.
- IoT offers adaptability to remote access and management through its oversight and autonomous control.
- IoT can predict the failure of equipment which can be used to schedule maintenance.
Challenges of IoT in Industrial Automation
- In IoT devices, data is collected and transferred from one device to another which can lead to breach of data and raise concern about the security and privacy of data.
- Since there will be multiple devices and platforms, transferring of data and working together seamlessly will be a challenging task.
- A lot of devices will be interconnected and data will be passed in a network. Such data volume will be numerous and it will be quite hard to manage it. A better data management and analysis system will be needed.
- The implementation IoT in industrial automation will not be cost efficient as it requires a significant investment and new equipment and staff training.
Conclusion
IoT has played a significant transformative change into industrial sector. Efficiency and productivity of business is increased and has streamlined decision making process. As more and more companies are adopting IoT, better customer experience and automation can be expected. Businesses can leverage such advanced technology to stay ahead of the time.
