AS technology continues to evolve at breakneck speed, it may seem impossible to keep up. However, we also don’t have a choice to get left behind because these changes are impacting our daily home and working worlds. All of these advances have been made possible by the internet coming into existence. Rather than being a static storage facility, a tool used by humans to connect with each other, or a series of apps that perform specific tasks (for example, a calculator), the internet has taken on a life of its own. Humans are harnessing the internet’s intelligent digital technologies to work faster and smarter. In this instance, the IIoT is utilised to achieve gains in the industrial sector that were previously not within our reach.
A Simple Explanation of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
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To grasp the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), it is first necessary to understand what the Internet of Things (IoT) refers to. This is necessary because the IIoT is how the IoT operates in industrial environments. Both encompass data collection from any devices or equipment that connect to the internet. They make use of sensors to increase digital intelligence and gather information. The IoT and the IIoT communicate in real-time, with other parts of themselves. This is all done without human involvement. The result is an interactive physical and digital universe. To picture just how large the IoT is, one estimate is that by 2025, there will be 41.6 billion devices connected to the internet, roughly five times more than the number of people on earth.
What Can the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Do?
All data in the IIoT is handled in the cloud. Data is cleaned up, arranged, and interpreted. This provides management with real-time information that can be used to make adjustments and find solutions.
In addition to assisting managers in their decision-making, machines can perform actions either fully or partially by themselves without being instructed to. This results in greater employee safety, less downtime, more efficiency, and the elimination of human error.
IIoT employs artificial intelligence and machine learning as well as relying on computational software to bring about the alignment of platforms or devices with each other. This is a massive improvement over earlier monitoring systems in the manufacturing industry. Individual machines can be checked to determine potential faults or recommend when routine maintenance should take place, thus extending the life of the product. All this takes place in real-time. Additionally, processes can be examined and streamlined for better productivity. Through IIoT, machines have the ability to self-correct.
How Does This Benefit Employees and Management in the Industrial Industry?
While the IIoT focuses on manufacturing processes and equipment, humans are freed up to come up with innovations, concentrate on decreasing delivery times to the marketplace, and design bespoke solutions for customers.
Before the IIoT, many processes were repetitive and relied strongly on manual labour. The IIoT has moved humans away from iterative tasks and given them the space to identify and rectify exceptions. The cost per item is also reduced by less reliance on manual workers and smaller, more professional teams.
With IIoT, companies can design new components to improve equipment and processes, manufacturing times, and quality, through e.g., BitBox which provides a prototyping service and compliance testing, allowing businesses to develop new patents and have them registered.
IIoT is here to stay and is sure to build on its phenomenal capabilities to change the face of manufacturing in the industrial sector.
