Automation IIoT

Sponsored: What You Need to Know About IoT in Manufacturing

EP Editorial Staff | May 1, 2019

This article brought to you by Dude Solutions.

You probably know about the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), but have you seen these concepts impact your daily work?

The first thing that comes to mind when you think of IoT may be technology like smart home devices or even machine learning or artificial intelligence (AI), but it also includes technology that impacts the way we work.

What is IoT?  

The Internet of Things is a popular phrase, but it really refers to devices that are connected to each other, often through the internet, that work together or communicate in some way. From digital thermostats that you can control with a smartphone to sensors that let you know when your boiler is overheating, IoT is all about being connected and getting information without human intervention.

IoT helps us get things done faster and easier than ever before.

Harnessing Industry 4.0

You can start to see how the manufacturing industry can leverage IoT. Gathering data from your operations and equipment and then using it – without any manual input from your employees – is what has the power to elevate your maintenance from reactive to proactive and lets you plan for the future, or the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

When it comes to maintenance, Industry 4.0 (also known as IIoT) means that you have an automated, continuous supply of data to help reduce downtime and ensure that your equipment is ready when you need it.

Operating more predictively

An important aspect of this movement is an increase in predictive maintenance practices. According to a survey, 75% of manufacturers use predictive maintenance,* so it’s clearly an important industry move.

While you should still perform preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance (PdM) takes your maintenance routine a step further by not only keeping your work proactive but also anticipating when something will fail or break. This means that your real-time data informs the decisions you make about repairing, replacing and what needs fixing, when (instead of a set schedule) – saving you critical time and budget dollars.

An important part of this new way of operating is machine-to-machine communication (or M2M). M2M communication is essentially any automated process that allows two machines to exchange data or other information without human intervention. It relies on sensors for condition monitoring so that it can predict when a failure or problem may occur by measuring a variety of factors, such as temperature or vibrations.

Starting with the right technology

Using the right technology and technology partners will help you get from where you are today to where you want to go tomorrow with IoT and IIoT.

Having a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) provides you with data and insights into your operations, as well as historical information on equipment, to help guide your path to operating more predictively and doing smarter maintenance.

With a CMMS, you can access:

• Advanced workflows
• Automated, detailed reporting
• Accurate forecasting for budgets
• Information on the go

Digital, as well as mobile, accessible and configurable data is the key to growing as the landscape of technology and connectivity grows.

Learn more in Dude Solutions’ Guide to IoT’s Manufacturing Maintenance Transformation.

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