When we hear the term IIoT solution, we usually remember automation but in reality it does more than that, automating tasks. It has brought some revolutionary changes to how manufacturers operate with the help of real-time data and smart insights that drive efficiency, innovation and strategic decision-making. It’s no brainer why this industry is expected to grow $33 billion by 2027.
Today, we will take a close look at the industrial IoT solutions for manufacturing that promise that a factory becomes truly smart.
6 ways where Industrial IoT solutions help factories become clever
Let’s learn how the Industrial IoT solutions are revolutionizing factories and making them cleverer and more effective in today’s competitive landscape.
1. Predictive analytics
With predictive analytics, industries can do predictive maintenance. Here, sensors on machines constantly track performance and wear of equipment and catch issues before they lead to unexpected breakdown. Because downtime, especially in production, is costly.
So, instead of waiting for something to break, you can take action early and save time and money while keeping operations running smoothly.
Real-time example:
Fanuc, a robotics manufacturer, has won the Supplier of the Year Innovation Award for its rigorous zero-downtime approach. It’s because it used predictive analytics to cut the downtime that can occur for multiple reasons and affect productions. So, it adopted IIoT sensors to predict the chances of equipment failure and greatly succeeded in it.
2. Remote monitoring
We all know that, for the most part, industries are located far from city centers. Despite the distance, the workers are employed to check and monitor the operations. With IIoT-enabled remote monitoring and control, one can manage equipment settings and respond to issues without needing to be on-site.
The best part is IIoT systems can instantly detect issues such as gas leaks or equipment malfunctions and allow managers to initiate shutdown protocols. This fast response not only protects personnel but also keeps the facility safe from potential damage.
Not to mention, remote monitoring with the help of IIoT lets managers oversee multiple plants from a single location.
Real-time example:
Komatsu is a company that specializes in construction, mining, and forestry that requires robust and precise operations.
This company adopted IIoT to connect all robots across its factories and warehouses worldwide so that they get real-time insights and make better decisions with the data collected. This is possible because they can easily control systems from just one device and this improves response time and lets you make decisions across operations.
With IIoT, Komatsu managers can monitor multiple factories worldwide from a single platform and this makes complex operations simple.
3. Inventory management
Manually tracking often leads to discrepancies between the actual stock and the recorded one. This can cause overstocking or shortages. Plus, without clear data-driven insights, warehouse space is often underutilized. Another disadvantage is that the traditional inventory systems rely on employees to notice and order restocks.
Can we safely include the high labor cost and time consumption that manual inventory management brings to the table?
So, when the inventory is connected with the IIoT-enabled sensors and RFID tags, they track every item placed in the inventory and update stock levels instantly as products move in or out. This keeps inventory records accurate and up-to-date.
Plus, with the IIoTs, you can analyze space usage and product demand patterns. Real-time data allows for smarter layouts based on product popularity or turnover rate.
Real-time example:
Bosch, one of the world’s leading suppliers of technology and services, has employed IIoT solutions to boost efficiency and streamline operations. The problem they had was that the workers had to spend more time looking for tools.
So, with their Track and Trace program, the most common issue of wasting time searching for tools and equipment was fixed. By just embedding sensors in tools, Bosch enabled real-time tracking and so the workers can now locate what they need.
Get top industrial IoT services from experts and improve efficiency, enhance safety and make better data-driven decisions today.
4. Worker safety & monitoring
IIoT is not only just for the automation and monitoring of the equipment; it goes one step further and keeps an eye on worker safety. Because caring for the safety and well-being of employees is something huge and creates a positive impact on the company’s operations.
For example, wearable devices can monitor the environment for toxic gases or unsafe temperatures or track if someone enters a restricted area. You can also place sensors to assess their perspiration, working technique, temperature, and other metrics.
The sensors store this information and can easily calculate the probability of accidents and malfunctions and help managers improve overall safety and efficiency. This data can help reduce accidents and ensure that everyone goes home safe at the end of the day.
Real-time example:
North Star BlueScope Steel is a leading supplier in the steel industry. Since manufacturing steel offers a chance for employees’s safety, they have to take a proactive approach to workplace health.
With its wearable technology, like wristbands that come equipped with vital tracking features, they were able to monitor the health conditions of their employees.
These wristbands track metrics such as heart rate, body temperature, and stress levels. Plus, they also detect harmful environmental factors, like radiation levels and toxic gases.
If an employee’s stats fall outside safe thresholds, supervisors are alerted and can immediately offer a break or adjust their workload to prevent accidents. These things enable quick responses to dangerous conditions and ensure a safer work environment.
Another workplace wearables firm named Kinetic has this smart device that comes in the size of a smartphone. It detects the posture and movements of the employees working and detects if they are highly dangerous on the job and alerts the concerned immediately via light vibrations.
5. Improved workflow and assembly process
We know that smart sensors and IIoT-enabled robots allow for highly automated, streamlined production lines and assembly processes. But in some instances, human intervention is needed, especially for the assembly process. So, here, IIoT sensors can help the workers with automation, quickly locate assets, track their usage, make sure the equipment is in the right place, etc. This way it cuts down on lost time on human errors that can be costly.
Real-time example:
Airbus, a leading aircraft manufacturer, builds planes, which means you need to put together millions of parts. So, a tiny mistake can be expensive. To eliminate errors and make the assembly process a little better, Airbus introduced the Factory of the Future.
In this new setup, they added sensors to machines and workers that help boost safety and accuracy.
For instance, they provide smart glasses that help workers read complicated blueprints and easily switch measurements from inches to centimeters. This not only makes their job easier but also helps ensure that everything fits together perfectly.
6. Streamlined production and enhanced infrastructure solutions
One of the biggest perks of enabling IIoT in industries is that it enables streamlined production by using real-time data from connected sensors to monitor and optimize each step in manufacturing. This results in reduced delays in production and the identification of inefficiencies so that you can spot where you are making a mistake and fix it and this speeds up the overall process. This lets companies cut production times significantly.
Real-time example
With the help of IIoT-enabled systems, Hitachi’s Omika Works division has cut production times in half. Thanks to its real-time data from connected sensors that helps track progress, reduce delays, and spot inefficiencies, thus speeding up the entire manufacturing process.
Another example is with Boeing, the global aviation company, which is shifting focus from just selling planes to offering valuable services and becoming a top information provider in aviation.
Boeing, along with its subsidiary Tapestry Solutions, is currently incorporating IoT technology to boost efficiency in its factories and across its supply chains.
Final Words
These are some of the best industrial IOT solutions for smart manufacturing. We hope that now you can understand how Industrial IoT is reshaping smart manufacturing by making processes faster, flexible and efficient too. Right from predictive analytics to automation, these IIoT solutions are super capable of great things.
If you are looking for IIoT solution providers to take your production to the next level, get in touch with Sterison. We can help you not just with smart manufacturing but also with increasing visibility of the supply chain, lowering operating costs, reducing the manufacturing cycle time, cutting down on errors, and improving production quality. So, our expert team has your back and can make your operations smarter, faster and more efficient too.
