3 Steps to Getting Your Plant Connected

Having machines connected around the world spewing information sounds sophisticated and futuristic. Terms like Big Data are entering the language spoken in manufacturing circles, but what does information flow mean for your company, if anything? Connecting your automated assembly to the Cloud and handling new streams of data may seem more like a logistical nightmare than a manufacturing solution.

Let's uncover the advantage of data, what to expect in a connected age, and how to use the information.

Lay Out a Plan

When you install robots or other forms of industrial automation, you need to have a plan for how you'll use the equipment. You need to have a why for the investment and what you want it to achieve.

The same principle holds true for data. Know what data is important, why it's important to track, and what devices then need to be connected. Just because a device can be connected doesn't mean it should be, a point made in the article Robotics 2015 and Beyond: Collaboration, Connectivity, Convergence.

What are you connecting to? Is it the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) or is it Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication? In the IIoT, communication is taking place with devices that are connected to an open platform. Many manufacturers don't want a maximum amount of communication on that type of platform, so M2M communication is the preferred option. M2M is where machines are communicating with each other within the closed platform of an Intranet.

Know what you're tracking. Companies are used to crunching financial data, the bottom line, to understand what products are selling and making forecasts. As noted in the write-up M2M and Big Data Combine to Improve Machine Performance, equipment data for automated assembly is also important. Manufacturers that connect to a central data repository will be able to consolidate functional and operational data for later analysis. Equipment data can track processes and point to the areas that need improvement.

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Lay Out Your Steps

Many companies are in transition between working with reliable equipment that was made for manual labor and newer equipment that operates on a digital platform. Legacy devices can hinder the communication needed to enjoy the benefits of being fully connected.

Some schools of thought state that "everything on the factory floor must be connected" in order to have a smart factory. That's the view put forward in the editorial Bring Factories Online with IoT Controllers where "legacy devices use a variety of fieldbus protocols, [and] industrial IoT controllers need to provide cross-communication capabilities for both downstream and upstream data communication."

The reality is that a gradual transition is taking place. As connections go, fieldbus technology accounts for roughly two-thirds of new connections in the industrial space, with Ethernet accounting for the rest. The topic is covered in the M2M and Big Data article with projections showing that it could be another two decades before new Ethernet nodes accounting for the majority of all connections in a given year.

Lay Out the Benefits

Analyzing data can help a plant operate its automated assembly efficiently and stay in control of issues instead of having unexpected delays. In a M2M example, communication between two machines that captures temperature and the current draw data for a servo axis might be able to detect bearing ware well ahead of failure. Replacement can be made during scheduled maintenance versus an unplanned downtime.

The value in the IIoT, as outlined in Industrial Internet of Things Sifting Reality from Hype, is a boost in efficiency, reduced downtime, and better inventory control giving manufacturers the ability to deliver personalized products, all while reducing cost.

Learn how to leverage technology to have an operation that is more productive and profitable. Make use of the videos, articles, and sign up for events offered through A3.

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