As manufacturers have likely heard again and again, there are many benefits to implementing Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions. Though no two environments are the same, there are some key benefits that all manufacturers will appreciate: new revenue streams, cost savings, flexibility, and increased visibility, which enables better decision making. In rapidly changing markets, the IIoT allows companies to stay relevant, giving them data to guide decisions and make a business case for innovation, allowing them to put out products faster and at a lower cost. But many manufacturers are still hesitant to implement a full IoT Solution. Some are held back by budget concerns; more still are held back by fear of the unknown. It’s hard to know where to start. Technology changes so quickly that one can get overwhelmed and fear the risk of making the wrong decision. Most lack in-house knowledge and hiring a whole implementation team can be an expensive, risky, and time-consuming proposition.
Read More →Fog Computing and Industrial IoT
The Internet of Things (IoT) promises to enable many new business models. In industrial markets, the concepts of IoT, or Industrial IoT (IIoT), are already gaining traction. At the simplest level, for example, IIoT provides the ability to more closely monitor a production line in near real time, or manage buildings and their associated plants more efficiently. IIoT also offers the ability to radically change your whole business approach. While it is easy to grasp the basic concepts behind any IIoT implementation, if you dig a little deeper there are a significant number of decisions to make in the way it will operate. For example, a cloud platform might well be able to establish trend lines on how often a motor is switched on/off to activate a conveyor belt, but does it need to rely on the cloud platform to tell it when to turn on or off?
Read More →Top 3 Ways IIoT Enables Business Outcomes in Manufacturing
According to IoT solutions company relayr, the manufacturing industry, as a whole, is the least digitally advanced industry today. It is also the industry with the most to gain from the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). With shrinking margins and increasing pressure to deliver better, faster, and cheaper, manufacturers are looking for ways to improve efficiencies, reduce costs, and open up new revenue streams, none of which can be accomplished without embracing the IIoT. The key areas in which the IIoT is poised to help manufacturers achieve their target business outcomes are: Asset Services – the continual monitoring and analysis of production line and/or supply chain data points that are most influential to a manufacturing enterprise. This data can be used to trigger automated responses in the machines, alert employees, track production and inventory in real time, and even enable custom product manufacturing Predictive Maintenance – the ability to conduct “just in time” maintenance, drastically reducing costs related to unplanned downtime as well as unnecessary preventative maintenance visits for healthy equipment. Through advanced analytics and anomaly detection, predictive maintenance capabilities only grow smarter over time through AI capabilities, to continually refine and improve manufacturers’ maintenance performance. Device Management – the functionality delivered by the ability to connect, retrieve data, and take action at the device (equipment) level. This interoperability is only achievable through a solid foundation of an IIoT middleware platform, connected hardware, and a solid device management software component. …
Read More →The Adaptive Machine: Cultivating a ‘green patch’ in your brownfield
Despite the well-documented advantages of digital transformation and smart factories, it can be overwhelming to know where to begin. Cultivating a green patch in your brownfield can be a good way to start. A green patch is bigger than a pilot project, because it is a full-scale production system, but it is a small investment than a greenfield. Typically, the project scope would be one line or cell. We talked with John Kowal, Director of Business Development at B&R Industrial Automation, a global supplier of advanced machine control solutions, about adaptive machines and how to cultivate a green patch within a brown field.
Read More →IoT Enables Predictive Maintenance
Over the past ten years or so there have been many smart manufacturing initiatives that have promoted the need for production facilities to become much more efficient and effective through the use of technology. The concept of the connected factory, achieved through the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), is being implemented, which is significantly driving up operational effectiveness, resource utilization and a digital visibility of production and process metrics never before thought possible.
Read More →Demand Driven MRP
Demand Driven MRP is recognized as an intuitive proven planning and execution method for today’s complex and volatile supply chains. While CAMELOT Management Consultants‘ services a variety of industries including Life Sciences, Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals, and Industrial Manufacturing, this thought paper focuses on how Consumer Packaged Goods companies specifically can transform their supply chain with DDMRP. Learn more: http://bit.ly/2Dlo0W8
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