The Top 4 IIoT trends for Manufacturers in 2020

Industry 4.0 has ushered in a new era of efficiency and productivity for manufacturers around the world. And the industrial internet of things (IIoT) is arguably the most impactful facet of this current industrial revolution. What is the IIoT and how can it serve your production facility?

The Top 4 IIoT Trends for Manufacturers in 2020

The IIoT has been discussed for over two decades. But in just the last few years we have seen sensor technology and networking device costs reach a level where they can be integrated into more production machinery, industrial robots, and other automation equipment. IIoT lets all these devices communicate with each other, as well as with Big Data and Artificial Intelligence.

Trend #1: Wireless Connectivity

Just adding connectivity isn’t enough for the IIoT to work. Wireless connectivity is being deployed to manufacturing equipment and data centers to make the IIoT viable. Imagine if you had to run new wiring throughout your entire facility for each device. In ever-changing manufacturing facilities, this wouldn’t be practical.

To deliver the necessary speeds, new wireless networking technologies are being designed from the ground up. 5G connectivity and improved Wi-Fi standards give devices improved capacity, bandwidth, and energy efficiency.

Trend #2: Edge Computing

The IIoT can work seamlessly with edge computing. Edge computing lets data processing take place on the IIoT device instead of sending it back to a server room or into the cloud. This method reduces strain on IIoT networks. Edge computing is essential to platforms that require extremely fast computing and responsiveness.

Trend #3: Predictive Maintenance

Predictive maintenance is an effective method for manufacturers to boost productivity at their facilities. IIoT can update machinery quickly. Being able to deploy updates simultaneously can reduce downtime, production delays, and cut idle hours.

IIoT-enabled devices can track the amount of time a piece of equipment has been in service and even discover issues before they result in a shutdown. A robot’s temperature sensors may indicate that a component is beginning to fail. Via the IIoT, the robot can trigger maintenance to reorder a new part, eliminating unnecessary maintenance and downtime.

Trend 4: Increased Security

Security is a key concern for all manufacturers as the threat of cybercrime continues to grow. Private 5G networks offer high-quality service, meet high-security requirements, and provide isolation from other networks to protect data from malfunctions in public networks.

The ability to detect compromised nodes and the collection of evidence of an attack is also important to IIoT users. Many manufacturers have hired cybersecurity experts or outsourced the management of the security on their IIoT platform to eliminate risk.

Learn how Connected Solutions from Genesis Systems can help you enhance your manufacturing automation and grow your business.