What is Industrial IoT
The Industrial IoT (IIoT) is a broad view of the Internet of Things applications in Industries.
Industrial IoT Meaning
The Industrial Internet of Things or Industrial IoT referred to as IIoT for short is the integration of connectivity achieved by the Internet of Things (IoT) to implement it in an industrial setting.
In other words it is the process of using smart technology (smart sensors), to gather data and later store it using cloud-based analytics connected together over the infrastructure of the internet to achieve an industrial enterprise fitted with the best value added enterprise.
Let’s first understand what is meant by the Internet of Thing, it is the network of interconnected devices which communicate with each other through the internet.
These items are embedded with some sensing device that is connected to the internet in order to pass the information to other devices which are used to control or monitor the behavior of plant, environment etc.
However, these sensors need to be more accurate and able to work in hazardous conditions with good efficiency and accuracy. Due to the advancement of technology, nowadays we have a range of chips available which can sense the information, compute and communicate it in real-time.
The below figure shows the basic block diagram of the Internet of Things.
Figure 1: Block diagram of Internet of Thing
for more details of on Internet of thing, you can check IoT meaning Explanation with detailed Examples
Explanation of Industrial IoT
It is common knowledge that IoT is devices that are interconnected to make collective use of various sensors in order to inform and monitor collectively to achieve an enhanced personal experienced in everyday life via aid from the internet capacities like wirelessness and cloud storage.
Similarly, IIoT is implemented on the same concepts and makes use of similar technologies as IoT to facilitate the connectivity of machines in businesses, people (both management, supervisors and workers), and data; within an industrial platform, all specifically targeted to improve and enhance the performance, efficiency and costs across the manufacturing value chain.
These include: assembly lines and there robotic arms, thermostats of freezer delivery truck, even fresh water pumps, all of those connected in order to provide and share data in order to create real time data driven decisions, this way controlling the processes of industrialization more efficiently.
IIoT technology can benefit manufacturers and consumers by displacing manual systems thus able to overcome or avoid manufacture-related difficulties , logistic dysfunctions and supply chain delays.
Implementation of IIoT to an already running enterprise is a highly efficient aspect of IIoT hence can reduce costs of operation along with guaranteeing absolute quality in a various industrial processes.
It is the trend of automation and data sharing in manufacturing technologies.
Conceptualization of IIoT
The Industrial Internet of Things is a network of computers, smart devices with sensors that collect and share large amounts of data. This gathered data is sent to a central cloud-server called Data center where it is aggregated with other data and then showed to end users with help of graphics and understanding language.
The IIoT will revolutionize manufacturing by enabling the acquisition and accessibility of far huge amount of data, at far greater speed, and far more efficiently than ever before. A number of companies with innovative approach have started to implement the IIoT by leveraging intelligent, connected devices in their factories.
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Identifying Industrial Internet of Things
The Industrial Internet of Things is mainly identified by its four categories
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Interconnection
The internet of things in itself is an idea of connection. So once there is a connection between smart devices algorithms, sensors and the operators running those sensors and algorithms, human-machine interface (HMI) is made effective. Motorization allows the operators and equipment to interact over a platform of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA). Which, depending on the production process can involve complete automation of batch processes, or easily controlled processes dependent on frequently made decisions of operators.
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Normalization
Data acquired from sensors is usually raw data, and should be normalized for effective use, which is achieved if data is broken down into understandable components for operators and supervisors. This normalization is common in IIoT because data commonly come from several sensors; in that case, for an improved HMI, data maps are created.
- Data Analysis
Data produced by the sensors should be easily analysed by the operated machines, if data is wrongly analysed and misinterpreted, error is eminent and so is danger, safety is only achieved if data is analysed completely and correctly for machines to be able to coordinate properly, otherwise IIoT can not be of great use if Data Analysis fails.
- Systems Automation
Once systems are Interconnected, and data from sensors is successfully normalized for operators, then easily analysed by the machines themselves, the machines of a plant should be able to run as an independent entity, HMI should be easy but otherwise greatly reduced to prevent human error.
The production unit must be self-sustaining to run on its own, that way the industrial process can be categorized as a IIoT-dependent firm.
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IIoT Protocols
Protocols used for sending and receiving data.
There are large numbers of communication protocols currently in use.
Mostly used protocols are:
- OPC-UA
- Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) transfer protocol
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Protocols and Challenges:
As Industrial Internet Things (IIOT) makes use of a range of devices which are interconnected to each other, these devices work on different protocols to communicate data among themselves.
To overcome this problem there are a number of communication protocols available such as OPC-UA, Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol is being widely used as a messaging protocol for industrial application due to low overheads, two-way data communication, publish and subscribe methods to inject data into SCADA applications.
The major challenges that Industrial Internet Things IIOT face are the interoperability between machines which use different protocols and architectures, and security to transmit faithfully information over and over.
As increasing vulnerability in the security of sensors which has given rise to MQTT since it is very secure protocol. It is important to secure data during transmission by encrypting it sender end and decrypting it receiver end.
Industrial IoT Examples:
Image credit: ninocare/Pixabay
- The Michelin Group Company uses sensors inside their tires combined with analytics to coach truck fleet drivers on how to drive with fuel efficiency.
- Taleris (a General Electric-Accenture joint venture) deploys analytics based on gathered information to help airlines minimize disruptions from mechanical failures and weather delays.
- Daimler, a Car2Go service, using Industrial IoT (IIoT) Daimler has taken its business beyond simply building cars to renting them almost as easily as buying milk at the corner convenience store.
- General Electric, General Electric’s aircraft engine maintenance business, born out of its jet engine business, Now with the help of Industrial IoT applications, now moving to preventive maintenance and expanding into aircraft fleet optimization.
- MICHELIN is with the IIoT, its helping truck fleet managers reduce fuel consumption and costs and allowing them to pay for tires on a kilometers-driven basis.
- CLASS, Farmers can operate CLAAS equipment on autopilot, receive advice on how to improve crop flow and minimize grain losses, or automatically optimize equipment performance. The CLASS Company is now tying up with other organizations to provide information services to growers via a marketplace called 365FarmNet.
Advantages of IIoT
Industries have been benefited by the use of IIoT in their plants which helped them to safety, cost-saving, time-saving, maintenance, scalability, efficiency.
It is possible to monitor people, data and processes from the remote shop floor to offices, as this has helped higher authorities to take effective decisions based on the visual reports.
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Applications
One of the major applications of IoT is in the “Manufacturing Industry”, where the technology is known as “Industry 4.0”. This has enabled the industries to acquire a huge amount of data, at a faster speed with good accuracy than older times.
The cloud which aggregates all information and presents it to end user in a readable manner.
The use of IIOT is increasing heavily in industries due to intelligent devices.
There is increasing trend of IIOT in the variety of industrial application such as:
- Automotive
- Healthcare
- Retails
- Energy
- Smart Transportation/Manufacturing/Buildings/Homes
- Smart Supply chain
Let’s discuss one of the applications in detailed.
Smart Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the most impacted sector after the revolution of IIOT.
This is not only responsible for making management effective but also smarter work.
IIOT have radically improved manufacturing by viewing each unit of production rather than batch-level production. This has given rise to Smart Manufacturing, it has built the environment which can access all the information in real-time within the plant and transfer it to business leaders in a visual form which could help to take required actions.
In the recent survey of SCM (Supply Chain Management) on Smart Manufacturing and IoT, it is claimed that one in five today will admit offline operation, which will befall approximately to zero in five years.
As per data of the Visibility Maturity Model, 50% expect to have visibility across the supply chain whereas 10% assume to single factory level and control which is 75% as per today’s figures.
Smart Manufacturing allowed industry for full visibility of the manufacturing process of product and maintaining/optimizing the supply chain. Smart Manufacturing should be made more intelligent and have automatic analytics capabilities. This would help organizations to take appropriate business decisions for the growth of business and delight customers with a capable and accurate solution.
It requires powerful technology that can make all machines work simultaneously within a specified tolerance level.
Additionally, IoT has the capability to create a network which can link manufacturing assets from machines to end product being produced, also from a sensor incorporated in controls to measuring instruments.
IoT has given digital images to the physical machines which enabled people to monitor the behavior of it in real-time.
Below is the list of well know industries which have adopted this technology:
- Siemens
- Bosch
- Cisco
- Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
- Harley-Davidson
- General Motors
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Conclusion
IIoT is going to revolutionize our industrial process. The next decade, will be full of innovations in human-machine interactions and Machine-to-machine connectivity, production process will be faster, more efficient and reliable.
Decisions will be made easier and more reliable, sometimes avoided, the hardware and software along with cloud capabilities will be pushing the limits of automation.
Once that is achieved there will be a shift in infrastructure and protocols, as well as standards which are all prone to enhancement.
Logistics companies can do a greater job with the speed and efficiency of IIoT.
Factories will benefit from automation and elimination of human error thus transportation will become more effective.
The interconnection and automation in processing will allow firms gain a competitive advantage directly or even exponentially proportional to the degree of IIoT implementation.
The future is full of unknowns, but IIoT can help us shape these unknowns in terms of production to our favour.
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References:
http://www.industryweek.com/manufacturing-smarter
http://theinstitute.ieee.org/static/special-report-the-internet-of-things
https://inductiveautomation.com/what-is-iiot
http://www.intel.in/content/www/in/en/internet-of-things/industry-solutions.html
