Internet of Things in the manufacturing industry

You can, without a doubt, say that the Internet has taken the world by storm. Today, everything from your phone in your pocket to the car you drive has turned into smart, connected products. So, why not implement the same idea in the manufacturing industry? The digitalization of your production processes enables you to easier find bottlenecks and make your production as effective as possible.

Internet of Things – the infrastructure of the information society

Internet of Things, (IoT) is a network of physical devices, such as machines or vehicles, that are embedded with sensors, software and network connectivity enabling them to collect, store and exchange data. Many devices are online today and the number of connected devices are increasing rapidly. In the coming years, the development is expected to focus on collection and storage, making it safer to keep and handle information online.

Internet of Things is one of the cornerstones of the fourth industrial revolution. Industry 4.0 is a term introducing intelligent networks that can control each other autonomously by connecting different machines, work-pieces and systems along the entire production chain.

Optimize your production and decrease downtime

When referring to Internet of Things in the manufacturing industry, it is often called IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things. Internet of Things can accomplish many positive things in the manufacturing industry. For example, it facilitates storage and logistical challenges, gives a good insight in how products are used which contributes to a more customized product development as well as optimizes your production. Collected data tells you how your machines are performing individually and as a group, how much energy they are consuming and the status of your machines. After collecting the data it is analyzed. This enables you to find bottlenecks in your production and receive an overview of how you can use your resources in order to increase the efficiency. This method helps you save your resources, which is beneficial for both your economy and the environment. Energy is a valuable resource that should not be wasted. By comparing different production lines and factories with each other, you can find out why some machines are performing better than others. Based on collected monitoring data, Internet of Things enables preventive maintenance by anticipating when your equipment needs service. This means increased uptime, giving you complete control of your production.

Implement IoT in your production by connecting one machine or an entire production line

To implement Internet of Things on your production line, the most important thing you need is an Internet connection. The installation process is simple, fast and adaptable to your specific needs, whether you want only one machine connected or an entire production line. You can also choose what data you want to collect and what information you want to store. If a machine’s capacity would be exceeded, an IoT-based system can warn you by sending an e-mail or a text message. It is up to you to decide if and when you want your system to warn you. This will help you prevent costly damages on your machines and minimize downtime.

Adjust your machines according to your specific production

The method requires limited maintenance and service. It is based on a simple and user-friendly interface, enabling easy use for the operators. However, the ones analyzing the data are required to have a broad knowledge of the production processes to be able to draw the right conclusions. A deep understanding of what the data means enables efficient adjustments on your machines to fit your specific business and production. A challenge with Internet of Things is the safety aspect. When storing information in the cloud, secure connections are really important. However, different security solutions are available on the market, making the storing of data as safe as possible.

FlexLink delivers smart, connected production flow solutions

The future looks very bright within this area. Many calculations have been made on the future economic revenue of Internet of Things. According to McKinsey, Internet of Things has a potential of generating up to $11.1 trillion a year in economic value by 2025. We, at FlexLink, focus on delivering smart, connected solutions to our customers. We invest a lot in increasing the competence when it comes to connected solutions and we highly recommend our customers to use Internet of Things in their productions.

What are your thoughts on using Internet of Things in the manufacturing industry? Share your thoughts in the comment field below, or on our social media channels. Feel free to contact me with any questions, or visit our website for more information.