Impact of IoT on Industrial Automation

Internet of things is proving to be a game changer for many automation companies. Industrial automation companies utilize IoT solutions can realize new advantages. The Internet of Things (IoT) assists to generate new technologies to resolve problems, improve operations and enhance productivity. The IoT can be described as the connection of only known electronic devices using Internet ‘data plumbing’ involving Internet Protocol (IP), web services and cloud computing. Impact of IoT on Industrial Automation is very high and it empowers us to utilize tablet computers, smart phones, realistic systems and cloud storage of data and so on.

Let us see the effect of Internet of Things (IoT) on Industrial Automation:

• Internet of Things (IoT)
• Internet of things products
• Internet of things devices
• IoT Gateway Devices
• Industrial IoT Development Kits

Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things (IoT) plays an important role in the industrial automation as it is begining to explore and apply IoT concepts and technology. IoT helps to make system well organized and system architectures that are essential, reasonable and flexible. The main aim is to generate cooperative communications and interaction from manufacturing field input or output involving actuators, robotics, analyzers etc to improve flexibility and enhanced manufacturing. Using IoT, the industrial automation has leveraged commercial technologies in extensive applications and these examples involve PLCs replacing edges of relays.

Internet of things products

Internet of Things is the next large technology turn and it is simply internet connected devices that are able to collect data. Many Internet of Things products are good enough smooth into the patterns of daily life by clarifying routine tasks. IoT products are available in different ways and they can be utilized in various verticals. Using IoT products, business and consumer lives can be more absolute than ever.

Internet of things devices

Internet of things devices can be utilized in different fields and they may deviate from home automation and functionality of your house. IoT Devices such as smoke detectors, thermostats, smart music systems, smart light bulbs come under this category. On another side, IoT devices are also present in the association with the human body, where we can talk about fitness trackers, smart body scales etc.

IoT Gateway Devices

IoT Gateway devices behave as a connection bridge between IoT Sensor Network and Cloud Server. IoT Gateway devices are appearing as essential elements in bringing next-generation devices to the IoT. They assist to merge protocols for networking, helps to analyze storage and edge analytics on the data and make possible data flow safely between edge devices and the cloud.

Industrial IoT Development Kits

Industrial IoT Development Kits produces a complete, high quality design environment for engineers and solution architects to dramatically speed up the growth and delivery of IoT applications. Using these kits, any development/industrial environment can be rapidly revolved into a production set unit.

The IoT Development Kit targets a variety of IoT application requirements by supplying a range of various hardware platforms, spanning from very dense, low-power ARM-based designs to strong multi-core, new generation gateways.

Machinery Automation

In easy terms Machinery automation has been into reality since more than 70 years. The concept is to analyze, activate and control different machineries in various industries. It includes industries such as automobile, textile, agriculture, chemical food and beverages, cement and other infrastructure evolution, manufacturing, shipping, pharmaceutical, transportation and many more.

Automation began with thermostat mechanism, took its journey ahead with relay logic and became absolute through digital control systems. Data flow from the network (Serial / Parallel / LAN / WAN) to the selected machinery’s control panel in form of simple or complex variables and commands has been successfully operating various types of machineries – simple to complex, sophisticated to powerful!

With quick penetration of internet, cloud, big data and IoT, researchers have successfully started using power of these concepts into machinery and automation world and have evolved out as a new era of ‘smart factory’ called Industry 4.0 or Industry Internet; which involves concepts cyber physical systems, internet of things and cloud computing grouped together as per industry requirement.

The concept is constantly fulfilling large number of real world use-cases, controlling various levels of challenges and continuously benefiting this generation.

Internet of Things in Machinery Automation can be related as machineries leveraged with embedded systems bringing sensors, I/O and software (combine referred as robots) managed through internet networking. While the prediction is that IoT could connect around 50 billion devices by 2020; machinery automation and machine-to-machine (M2M) communication will improve sharply.

Fundamental building blocks of Machinery Automation with IoT are as follows:

– Wireless network with ideal connectivity
– Cloud storage
– Operation center
– Data processing
– Inventive hardware
– Improved sensors network

Success calculating criteria’s of machinery automation with IoT arrangement are as follows:

– Security
– Performance
– Efficiency
– Scalability and Customization
– Renewability
– Intelligence and Add-Value
– Predictive measurement and analysis
– Contribution towards Eco system

Advantages

– Real time data can save time and money!
– It’s Cloud! – Acquire anywhere, anytime and it’s safer!
– Develops standardization!
– Minimizes downtime
– Data integration is secure and visibility is higher
– Helps to realize your production processes better > supply better > increase performance > minimizes cost > improve efficiency > scale higher!

Let’s see few examples of Machinery Automation with IoT holding together:

– Water management

The underground water pipelines are being analyzed using multiple sensors connected with the mains during decided interval. Data associated to water quality and leakages are being catched and sent using SCADA system, then it is transferred between remote devices, database and control terminals and processes worldwide.

– Aircraft smart recognition

Scheduled maintenance activity for aircrafts (or evenly essential machineries) is being modifies into regular smart maintenance inspect by using sensors to analyze aircraft parts for described points and transfer data to the application monitoring system to determine the requirement of replacement or repairing if required.

– Healthcare and Telemedicine

With precious inventions of embedded healthcare devices and digital medicines; analyzing and diagnosing patients more systematically is becoming possible for doctors and healthcare professionals. Data is being shared, processed, monitored, managed and being further used for dynamic results.

The technology is helping patients to reach out to vendors rapidly, navigate and initiate contact with hospitals and minimize downtime radically. The telemedicine concept is also being further improved using IoT for promoting analytics.

– Beverages quality tracking

Temperature and pressure at which beverages are packed and delivered plays an important role in its quality and sustainability factor. The manufacturing area utilizes IoT technology to derive exact temperature and pressure data worldwide and monitors location wise data centrally to trace and manage quality.

– Security systems for railways

Train wheels are updated with intelligent GPS system which transfers data of travelling details like track, direction etc. The data sharing is done by supplying personalized acquiring trackers to notify truck drivers coming from the other side of the train or workers working on tracks. This helps in avoiding train collisions and behaves as a precious thing for workers’ safety. This concept can be utilized in other industries too.

– Oil and gas

Oil giants like Shell utilizes big data, analytics, computing and imaging techniques to search gas and oil resources from depth of earth. Connected sensors are used to monitor pipeline of oil and gas.

– Waste management

Sweden’s world class garbage to energy program converting 99% of wastage into energy is one of the best example that they not only saving money by restoring fossil fuel with waste to generate energy; it is producing 100 million USD annually by importing waste and recycling the waste produced by other countries.

World’s largest plan runs various processes through process control systems, instrumentations and analyzers, produces desired results at various stages, sends data remotely outside the production facilities and gives the highest in converting waste into the best! It also supplies improved big data analysis, performance optimization, remote maintenance, analyzing and support.

– Textile automation

Textile industry depends on industrial internet for accuracy, quality and time criticality. Heavy machineries of fabric straightened, spinning machines, declining controllers and other equipment are completely automated through control sensors for temperature, pressure and motion requirements.

Tailored programs are managed and executed from central location around the globe and managed through Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and Single Board Computers.

– Supply change management

IoT with automation has started helping supply change management by supplying intelligence in connecting people, processes, data and resources through sensors and needed devices. Through GPS and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies, accessibility of information, location and other required tracking details are collected.

In addition to this, real time data of weather, traffic is driving particular details etc. that helps in enhancing management and attaining higher operations efficiency.

– Drones in various industries

Drones have started showing their importance in various areas. Few segments where drones have initiated creating their presence such as a, agriculture industry for farmers to recognize crop diseases, send samples for identification and many other utility functions, polices to search missing people, monitoring traffic situations, different defense operations and providing logistics to military personals, disaster recovery and sending support to remote areas etc.

The drone execution is facing various challenges in different sectors as per their utilization and laws but governments of various countries have initiated showing positive signs towards its adoption.

Industrial Automation and IoT is a recent innovative concept and Industrial IoT solutions add functional value to industrial equipments. IoT Course is the easiest way to learn all such a new innovations in various industries.