How IoT benefits factory productivity

The manufacturing industry has been riding the wave of Industry 4.0 over the past decade, bringing various technologies to factories. This fourth industrial revolution was all about digital technologies and smart manufacturing systems. These technologies aim to dramatically improve productivity by reducing unplanned downtime and streamlining processes. The Internet of Things (IoT) is a central element of these systems that allows them to function.

Image Credit: Aleksandar Littlewolf; Freepik Industrial IoT

Industrial IoT (IIoT) refers to the IoT used in industrial environments. The IIoT is a network of various objects that transmit data to each other. IIoT is different from everyday IoT because of its applications: While regular IoT deals with day-to-day tasks, IIoT operates in a high-precision environment with various dangers surrounding it. This requires the use of sensors of very high precision and robust manufacturing quality.

Another big difference between the two is the focus area. IoT is about convenience, while IIoT is about improving productivity by interconnecting assets in a production system.

Reduce downtime with PdM

Predictive maintenance (PdM) is a maintenance planning technique that allocates maintenance downtime by analyzing the condition of assets in a manufacturing plant. To do this, technicians must work with integrated systems interconnected with sensors that transfer data from assets to a CMMS or EAM system. This data transfer infrastructure through the system is IIoT.

PdM, enabled by the IIoT, aims to reduce unplanned downtime to near zero. It uses real-time and historical asset data to calculate the optimal time for their maintenance. Maintenance downtime helps the plant avoid breakdowns and unplanned downtime associated with reactive maintenance. Additionally, since the predictive technique only suggests downtime when an asset requires maintenance, there is no need to spend resources on regular preventive maintenance.

Predictive maintenance keeps the plant running and prevents wear and tear on machinery. In short, it's a high-tech way to get the best of both worlds to improve plant productivity. It also maintains all assets in their best condition. Given time and enough data to get the algorithm working, PdM can help the plant realize every plant manager's dream: near-zero unscheduled downtime. For any medium or large plant, the benefits of using PdM (instead of reactive or preventive maintenance) usually justify the investment in the necessary software and hardware.

Accurate asset tracking

Manufacturing plants may have thousands or even millions of assets in inventory. The absence of an asset from the plant can cause a chain reaction affecting several services. The factory can waste valuable production hours and money finding and replacing the failed asset.

A good idea is to have a shared record of all items. However, tracking the location of every asset 24/7 gets tricky when dealing with such large numbers.

IoT-based asset tracking is the ideal solution for any manufacturing plant managing large inventories. Several technologies such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and cellular networks are used for asset tracking. Their operation is based on the accuracy and range required for a specific application. To reduce capital investment, factories can use a combination of IIoT asset tracking for critical assets and barcodes for others.

One way to help your CMMS/EAM locate assets is to use IoT-based asset tracking. This can reduce theft and loss of assets during transport within the factory. Additionally, the production hours saved by avoiding searching for or replacing equipment can lead to productivity improvements. As IoT asset tracking provides real-time location of all assets, including workers, synchronization between workers also improves, making them more productive.

Inventory optimization

Inventory management and optimization are essential to the productivity of any plant. This involves keeping track of available asset locations, prices, and restock times. Poor inventory management can lead to...