​​The IoT impact on manufacturing industries is massive. Inter-reliability between sensors, equipment, machines, and lines, as well as processing units, plants, materials, packaging, vehicles, buildings, computers, software, cloud technology, mobile devices, and individuals is key to accomplishing innovative results and driving value in manufacturing. 

Although IoT has disrupted many industries, it is the IoT impact on manufacturing the one that is the most notorious one. 

For instance, here are some ways in which IoT can help the manufacturing industry with: 

Data Collection

It is crucial to securely store data from sensors and other machines for analysis and applications. The cloud gives ways for flexibility and efficiency when leveraging information. Thus, it makes information useful for manufacturing companies. 

Smart Assembly 

Manufacturing companies have started to deploy intelligent networks in order to bridge the gap between enterprise networks and manufacturing. 

For example, they can now reduce downtime through remote access to partners and systems and provide precision, reliability, and resilience from the plant floor up to the enterprise. 

Increased Visibility 

Manufacturing companies need to have better visibility of their resources, equipment performance, security threats, and other issues. They can create dashboards that show details about the plant environment, safety, efficiency, and return on assets. 

Plant-Wide View 

For manufacturers with dispersed production sites, integrated production systems are pivotal. This can help reduce lead times as a result. 

Manufacturers can use Internal Protocol (IP), a network technology that connects enterprise applications to device-level production data in real time, for faster information flow and market responsiveness, and quicker decision-making

Event Resolution 

Manufacturing plants are often unable to issue real-time notifications when equipment fails. Open standards enable users to tap sensor-level networks that can detect malfunctions right away (sometimes even prior to them happening) in order to create high levels of equipment effectiveness (OEE). 

Advanced Maintenance 

Regular maintenance is essential for ensuring a smooth operation of your plant. Companies can better manage emergencies by planning outages (usually annually) for maintaining and repairing equipment. 

This approach can be problematic as not all equipment needs maintenance at the same time and on the same schedule. Industrial Internet of Things allows companies to move towards a proactive model of preventive maintenance. 

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), which allows for real-time monitoring of machine and device health, allows companies to schedule maintenance whenever the machine requires it without following an arbitrary schedule. 

Accessibility to Supply Chain 

It is crucial and difficult to see the supply chain, especially in the food sector, where there are many suppliers and new regulations require transparency and compliance. IoT in the manufacturing industry allows for real-time visibility of all manufacturing processes. 

Food manufacturers can use sensors to determine whether their products have been subjected to extreme temperatures, pressures, and other environmental conditions that could make them unfit for consumption. Companies can avoid recall costs by knowing this information ahead of time, which can help them save millions. 

Facility Analysis 

In the past, it was a bit hard to try and compare the efficiency of different facilities and the product quality. Manufacturers can now use IoT technology to gather and analyze data from multiple facilities. This allows for better decision-making regarding quality and operational efficiency

About the Author

Santiago Picco

Partner @ 4i Platform - Data Driven Innovation Electronic Engineering specified in control automation. Master in Stategic Management of Techology. Data scientist. Industry 4.0. IIoT and Digital transformation.

View All Articles