What to Consider When Starting Your Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Journey – part one

The term ‘Industrial Internet of Things’ or IIoT seems to be everywhere at the moment! But what does it actually mean?

ProSoft Technology define it as: “The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is about intelligent devices like overloads, photo eyes, variable frequency drives, or PLCs providing data that we use to make our processes more efficient.” 

ProSoft have also looked at some of the ways old-school automation engineers are making use of IIoT concepts to improve their operations, and what considerations all of us should keep in mind.

Remote Monitoring and Equipment Access

• In the old days, remote access meant installing a serial modem connected to a dedicated phone line, so the machines made remote access-capable were limited to the most critical operations.
• What’s changed in the IIoT world is the proliferation of wireless connectivity, especially cellular networks and wireless LAN. Now, all that data deemed not important enough to transmit can be made available from remote sites. 
• Remote access to industrial equipment has become more accessible for more people throughout the organisation
• Finally, machine builders and control engineers responsible for widely dispersed global operations can build reliable connectivity into their systems without the need for custom infrastructure and integration at the end site.
• For mobile equipment, access is available just about anywhere the equipment goes. This simplifies the design and maintenance of the system, and enables the machine OEM to build high-value applications that make use of an “always connected” machine.

Machine and Process Control

• IIoT technology is not just about cellular connections to remote machines. 
• Major automation vendors like Rockwell Automation have been offering industrial Ethernet connectivity for PLCs and related devices for more than a decade. Industrial Ethernet protocols like ODVA’s EtherNet/IPTM provide the kind of performance required for automation systems, while also enabling interoperability with the massive Internet Protocol-based network infrastructure found in virtually every organisation. 
• Today’s automation engineers are taking advantage of the Internet Protocol-based industrial technologies to design more reliable networks for moving equipment. 
• Wireless LAN products designed for the harsh industrial environment and optimised to handle protocols like EtherNet/IP allow engineers to eliminate the cost and downtime of frayed cables, yet still take advantage of high data rates and application-specific requirements like machine safety and time synchronisation.

Asset Mobility

• One area of automation where IIoT technology is creating new opportunities involves taking the network connection anywhere in the plant. 
• Old systems offered only so many places to “plug in.” 
• Automation systems are now benefiting from the same “network everywhere” mindset as our home and office environment. 
• Using industrial hotspots, control engineers can connect to the automation system easily from anywhere in the plant. The same wireless network allows maintenance applications running on smart phones or tablets to access and update equipment records, capture and store photos, and even help maintenance technicians troubleshoot machines. Operators and supervisors can view the status of a machine from anywhere, and even control the machine.

Next week in Part Two: Things to consider about how your system can fit into this new world of connected machines. Make sure you’re subscribed to our blog and the part two will go straight into your email inbox. In the meantime, please email info@routeco.com if you require more information. The full whitepaper from ProSoft Technology can be found here.