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Implementing
wireless
connectivity through pre-
certified wireless modules
could represent the simplest
solution to joining the
Industrial Internet of Things.
Control,
particularly
when
implemented in a programmable
or ‘adaptive’ way, lies at the heart
of automation; nowhere are the
benefits of automation more
apparent than in the industrialised
world. Feedback is a fundamental
part of control and bringing these
two elements together is a concept
upon which embedded electronics is
based.
As every engineer will confirm,
feedback loops are essential to
control; being able to quantitatively
measureanoutputinaclosed-loopasa
result of changing input(s) underpins
control in many applications. Within
electromechanical
applications,
sensors form an important element
in feedback and control, and analysis
of the data they generate is fuelling
an evolutionary step in industrial
automation.
The benefits of data analysis in
financial sectors is nothing new,
but the fact that the analysis of
industrial data can lead to significant
productivity gains in all its sectors
is now driving the rapid evolution
of the Industrial Internet of Things
(IIoT).
Building an ecosystem
Even as a subset of the much larger
Internet of Things (or Internet of
Everything, as it is also known)
the IIoT still represents a massive
opportunity; a market that is
expected to be worth trillions of
dollars within a couple of decades.
While it evolves, its implementation
is still open to interpretation and so
offers companies of any size a chance
to be a part of it. Anything that can
deliver productivity gains through
harnessing the power of the IIoT will
be attractive to companies where
margins are closely monitored.
In reality, fully exploiting an IIoT
strategy requires much more than
just using a sensor to measure the
wear on a bearing or the flow of a
fluid. It will require an ecosystem
of hardware, software and services
that, when brought together, will
create a closed loop able to provide
significant insights into industrial
processes. This new landscape is
likely to bring small, agile companies
into close contact with larger
incumbents, creating collaborations
that will become commonplace
thanks to the IIoT.
An IIoT framework will comprise
many elements; from gathering
Getting Connected to Increase Productivity in
Industrial Applications
Mark Patrick, Mouser Electronics
60 l New-Tech Magazine Europe