Strengthening IoT for Industry 4.0 – Networks for Tough Environments
Published on : Monday 30-11--0001
Today, the potential for the Internet of Things (IoT) reaches far beyond smart home automation, self-monitoring appliances and connected security systems. IoT’s real potential lies in the industry and manufacturing domain where it monitors systems for energy efficiency and workplace productivity.
However, the much-needed transition from smart homes to smart factory can only be made possible by overcoming the numerous technological challenges faced by IoT. Factory systems need an up-grade in terms of industrial-strength reliability, security and control to be able to meet the operational requirements of a high-availability and mission-critical infrastructure.
The Growth of IIoT
Energy efficiency is one of the areas in which IIoT plays a significant role. A real-life example of the use of IIoT in making the industrial environment energy efficient is where one of our customers with a manufacturing facility recently incurred a new 5 per cent tax on electrical power consumption. By using IIoT smart power monitoring system strategically to cut off almost any power wastage, the factory managers could make sure that the equipment only ran when needed and helped in healing the budget over-runs.
Another popular use of IIoT is in preventative maintenance. For example, the assets of oil and gas industries that are exposed to harsh environments can be maintained by the use of automated process control and preventative maintenance thereby saving money and reducing danger to repair teams.
Some other areas where IIoT systems are providing significant benefits to the industry are sensor-based supply chain optimization and environmental sensing.
Challenges of Scaling IoT to Industry
The amount of data that an IoT system can gather is directly proportional to the insights that it can generate. IoT systems have to save a large amount of data to provide valuable insights. In this case, balancing scale and complexity become the major challenges for an IIoT system which is generally very large and complex in nature.
In fact, the situation is far more complex when it comes to Industrial IoT when compared to the ones used for the consumer market. This is primarily because they operate in high-availability environments that require resilience, weapons-grade security, easy scalability and management controls. Thus it is very important that these networks are engineered for high performance and reliability.
Additionally, these systems present many other challenges. For instance, connecting all the IIoT devices within a network using WiFi or Bluetooth is a problem for many companies because of their limited expertise in wireless technology. However, this problem can be resolved by using pre-certified radio frequency (RF) modules that are offered by component manufacturers to add wireless connectivity to any smart connected object.
Another challenge that IoT systems present is the threat to a company’s cyber security. Companies need to run their IIoT system in an isolated environment as each IoT sensor and device might act as potential entry points for cyber threats.
The progress of IIoT is being further slowed down due to lack of standardized platforms. Currently, most devices operate on existing IIoT networks that were built on custom or proprietary technologies. Aggregating data from multiple platforms that employ disparate wired and wireless protocols is a major challenge.
The productivity and efficiency of IIoTs can be increased by creating products and standards that ensure security and interoperability from the device all the way to the cloud. Further, talented people with a combination of right skillsets and specific training can help in overcoming these challenges by driving innovation and developing these complex systems, particularly for smaller businesses.
Addressing IIoT Opportunities in Small and Medium Businesses
According to IoT Now magazine, whatever happens to small- and medium-sized manufacturers matters a great deal for the health of the entire sector “especially when it comes to the adoption of advanced technologies such as “Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies.” It may seem that IIoTis generally meant for large companies with very high IT budgets but, IIoT can be specifically beneficial for small and medium companies and can help them to manage their high scale manufacturing.
Standardising IIoT platforms and protocols will help to reduce complexity and ambiguity of design, which will open opportunities for independent engineers and small IT firms to recognize the potential of IIoT in SMBs.
Distributors like element14 are an indispensible source for technology components, services and solutions for the innovators in IIoT. element14 can quickly deliver a broad range of products and support designers and engineers as they move products from idea to design and on to market.
A designer with a great product idea may need to know how to develop an effective business or marketing plan, or learn about compliance laws in a specific industry. Community forums like Hackster.io and the element14 Community provide a site where designers and engineers can engage with their peers to discuss IIoT challenges, share news about new products they use to make their lives easier, and explore hot trends. With over 500,000 registered users in the element14 Community, it is a great platform to receive support from people with similar interests to find answers, inspiration and companionship.
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Global IIoT Market: Snapshot
The focus of top players in the global industrial internet of things (IIoT) market is to leverage innovative technologies so as to provide novel IIoT solutions. In order to consolidate their position, top companies in the market are also considering carefully crafted partnerships and acquisitions, leading to their expanded service offerings and expanded geographical presence.
The revolutionary benefits in manufacturing processes on account of deployment of industrial internet of things is the primary factor driving the industrial internet of things market. This is because IIoT improves operational efficiency by means of harnessing data and acting in response to the data collected from smart machines.
As per a report by Transparency Market Research, the global industrial internet of things market is expected to expand at a whopping 23.7% CAGR between 2017 and 2025, for the market to reach a valuation of US$783,881.1 mn by 2025.
In terms of component, the segments into which the industrial internet of things market is divided are hardware, software, and service. Hardware can be further segmented into sensors, robotic systems, and connected devices. The segment of hardware led the market in 2016. However, the software segment is expected to clock maximum growth rate over the forecast period on the back of high adoption of software by large industries.
The segments of the market based upon end user are aviation, oil and gas, transportation, power generation and utility, manufacturing, healthcare, and others. Manufacturing is expected to lead the market with a share of close to 35% of the overall market during the forecast period. This is mainly because of high adoption of IIoT in the manufacturing sector. Healthcare is predicted to clock the leading CAGR over the forecast period ending in 2025. The key growth drivers of the sector include improved diagnosis due to data sharing between consultants and improved healthcare services.
Caption:
Leverage the power of IoT with a convergence of Sensors, Gateways and the WebNMS platform. Image credit: WebNMS, the IoT division of Zoho Corporation
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