When we talk about the Industrial Internet of Things, we’re talking about the use of the Internet of Things in industrial settings. Machines, devices and sensors interconnected in an ecosystem geared towards optimising results in industry. Efficiency, safety and profitability are all enhanced in the latest industrial evolution (to date ): industry 4.0
In this article we are going to focus on what IIoT really is and what benefits it has for companies:
Contents
- What is the IIoT?
- General benefits of the IIoT for industry
- Moving towards industry 4.0: Now’s the time
- Integrated IIoT solutions: ThingWorx by PTC
What is the IIoT?
If you already know something about the Internet of Things (IoT), which is now widely applied in home automation thanks to Alexa, Google Home and many other devices, then you won’t have any problems with understanding the Industrial Internet of Things.
The IIoT is a subset of the IoT that focuses on automation and efficiency in an industrial ecosystem. In this case we’re working from the same premise: interconnecting devices. But the objectives we’re seeking are much more advanced.
The most common processes in domestic applications are things like automatically raising or lowering blinds, programming the air-conditioning and setting the cheapest hour to use the washing machine or dishwasher; but the uses of IIoT for industry 4.0 include processes like gathering useful data to design workflow optimisation strategies and boost task automation.
The main aims in domestic settings are comfort and savings. Industrial uses on the other hand include objectives such as cost reductions, minimising human error, maximising efficiency and a long list of other things that we’ll see below.
Before describing the benefits of IIoT for industry, we will briefly explain how this technology works.
IIoT Technology: How it works
The key concept of the IIoT is the transmission of information in an interconnected ecosystem: connected devices that share information in an IIoT network.
So, what technologies are needed to make an IIoT network?
Connectivity. The devices must be able to send information, so they need a connection via wi-fi or mobile phone networks. 5G is fast and has a good bandwidth, and that makes it very effective. They also need light communication protocols, like the MQTT, to streamline communication.
Cloud computing. When we rely on the cloud to store and process data instead of doing it on local servers, we immediately multiply our storage and processing capacities, although in some cases we can also use edge computing.
IIoT sensors. These are sensors fitted with a microprocessor that can process the data they acquire, standardise them to make them understandable and transmit them via the Internet. They’re also known as IO-Link sensors. And they’re compatible with analogical machinery. To find out more about this type of sensors, see our article Smart sensors in industry 4.0.
Machine Learning Systems. What we mean by that is a computer program that facilitates data management, task automation and decision making.
Their main functions include:
- Gathering data from all the connected devices and processing them.
- Connecting all the industrial and business management software (from SCADA to ERP).
- Providing precise information to every team member.
ThingWorx, by PTC, is a solution that offers all this.
General benefits of the IIoT for industry
The benefits in domestic applications are clear and easy to calculate: they’re based more than anything on comfort and energy savings.
IIoT projects in industrial settings are assessed on their return on investment (ROI). The most notable indicators associated with the ROI are reduced operating costs and improved production efficiency.
As Microsoft explains in its 2020 IoT Signals Report, reduced operating costs and increased efficiency are two of the greatest benefits to be found after applying successful IIoT projects.
But there are many more:
- Reduced human error.
- Network enhancement.
- Increased customer satisfaction.
- Boosting employee productivity.
- Increased competitive edge over other companies.
- Increased revenue.
It’s no surprise that the number of successful IIoT projects has multiplied in recent years. See the IoT Signals Report published by Microsoft in July 2023:
- 65% of companies have embarked on IIoT strategies.
- Nowadays, IIoT projects are 14% more successful than five years ago.
- The challenges associated with budget availability, project complexity and data management have dropped by approximately 50%.
So, let’s see why.
Moving towards industry 4.0: Now’s the time
Some companies have been implementing IIoT-based strategies for over a decade. And like all visionaries, they faced challenges that they overcame, under the guidance of specialist providers who have constantly improved their products and services.
The knowledge generated by pioneers such as these has led to a major increase in the success rate of IIoT projects and a reduction in the costs of implementing such systems.
IIoT for big companies… and not so big ones
After the experiences of the first visionaries, major companies like Walmart, Mercedes, Toyota, Coca-Cola, DHL, Delta Electronics and Schindler Elevators started to develop IIoT projects that involved hundreds of people and millions of connected devices.
And now many other companies are taking advantage of the benefits of IIoT in smaller projects: to evolve towards predictive maintenance; optimise staff training and use augmented reality to design machine installation in new production plants…
The potential applications are endless. And the costs in money and time are much lower than they were 10 years ago.
Ready-to-use IIoT solutions
It’s no longer necessary to build IT systems from the ground up for each company: now there are ready-made platforms that can be adapted to the needs of every organisation. This is what’s known in the trade as a ‘buy-and-integrate’ solution.
These pre-designed solutions can be adapted to any scenario: they reduce the costs and time of implementation, and so offer a faster ROI. ThingWorx, PTC’s IIoT platform, marketed and configured by Aritex Code in its digital transformation projects, is just one of these advanced solutions.
Integrated IIoT solutions: ThingWorx by PTC
PTC’s ThingWorx is an integrated solution platform that enables companies to quickly implement IIoT solutions to meet their specific needs.
The platform includes functionalities associated with machine learning and business intelligence and is based on pre-designed common use cases and building blocks to adapt it to the specific requirements of each company and user, who can start using it straight away.
It’s made up of commonly used components that enable the information flow to be organised and report preparation to be automated. All this makes decision making that much easier:
- Production panel. Gathers, aggregates and stores data (automatically and/or manually entered) for analysis.
- Activity monitoring. Uses collected data to improve implementation processes.
- Performance analysis panel. Confirms that the improvements make a difference in the OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness).
Advantages of ThingWorx in comparison to ground-up IIoT solutions
Although there are many more, we’ll highlight just three of them:
- More security in ROI. PTC’s ThingWorx enables the project value to be quantified. What that means is that you can calculate the return on the project before it’s implemented. You only have to develop the case to come an estimated return.
- Faster implementation. Much less time required to obtain value from the system than with a solution built from scratch. With initial results in just 90 days.
- Easily scalable. Once the initial installation is completed, it can be quickly extended to other facilities.
How IIoT empowers industry to solve new challenges through Thingworx
What do you get when you implement the ThingWorx IIoT Platform?
ThingWorx offers a comprehensive view of all the operations in real time on any device with an Internet connection.
By providing actionable information in a simple way, it makes data-based decision making much easier, thus ensuring optimum output.
Thanks to ThingWorx, your uptime and productivity go up and operating costs go down.
So, the benefits of implementing IIoT to industry and taking the leap to industry 4.0 are clear to see. 10 years ago, it was a risky venture and only within the reach of major companies. But now the IIoT offers a competitive edge that’s available to any company that wants to thrive.
