As Anil Bhaskar writes for Forbes, “The traditional way of performing equipment maintenance using tools, materials, checklists and clipboards is inefficient.” This could not be closer to the truth. We are in an age of complete digital transformation for manufacturing. Plant floors are now testing grounds for innovation. And one of the biggest to come from this experimentation is the development of Industrial IoT, also known as IIoT. IIoT allows you to identify and fix issues as they occur and provides operators with access to sweeping data covering the range of equipment and environments that they must oversee. Bhaskar points to the example of a higher-than-normal temperature that can be instantly detected and adjusted remotely with this technology. So, with this promise of efficiency, it’s no wonder that companies are turning to IIoT in droves to bring their factories into the modern era. In this piece, we take a quick look at the growth of industrial IoT.
IIoT Adoption Stats
Let’s begin with the stats. If anything proves the hold of this trend, it’s numbers. It has been more than 10 years since the concept of Industry 4.0 was first introduced. This vision of smart industrial settings is the foundation for the development of IIoT. Therefore, the rising interest in Industry 4.0 has given way to IIoT intrigue. What started out as somewhat obscure is now being applied across manufacturing facilities throughout the world. According to IoT Business News, searches for Industry 4.0 on Google are 140 times higher than they were in 2011. Additionally, the funding for startups in the field has increased by 319% during the same period.
It’s important to note that as IIoT implementation expands, it is also paving the way for other technical advances enhancing plat floor capabilities such as digital twins and Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGVs). Plus, it is supporting the progression of supportive innovations like 5G networks.
Considerations for Implementing IIoT
While it is clearly beneficial to incorporate IIoT into operations, it should be done with caution and attention to detail. Dip your toe in, if you will. Eric Whitley explains at Security Magazine that “Before shifting to the smart factory mode, companies must identify operational gaps and relevant technologies to address them. A company should implement these solutions in small steps, scaling them once they yield positive results.” One of the largest considerations that should be made is around cybersecurity risks such as data theft. In order to both adopt IIoT and combat cyber vulnerabilities, companies can carry out measures like establishing system access control measures, learning and adhering to regulations and seeking out helpful tools and resources for tasks including intrusion detection.
Sources:
- “How IoT Is Playing A Key Role In Production Uptime” – Anil Bhaskar, Forbes
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/10/20/how-iot-is-playing-a-key-role-in-production-uptime/?sh=9ff70691f200 - “The rise of Industry 4.0 in 5 stats” – IoT Business News
https://iotbusinessnews.com/2022/10/20/01453-the-rise-of-industry-4-0-in-5-stats/ - “ENOs and Private LTE: Smart Connectivity for Smart Factories” – Pod Group, IoT for All
https://www.iotforall.com/enos-and-private-lte - “4 cybersecurity considerations for smart factories” – Eric Whitley, Security Magazine
https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/98496-4-cybersecurity-considerations-for-smart-factories
