Five key elements for effective IIoT implementation

The combination of these technologies is helping to make the vision of concepts like the “Connected Factory”, “Industry 4.0” and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) a reality. Often however, the proliferation of competing concepts can lead to confusion and leave some questioning how to begin practical implementation.

A white paper has been published by Red Lion Controls defining these concepts, and examining key elements organisations should consider when devising an effective implementation strategy.

The Connected Factory is the vision of a manufacturing environment where every machine is able to communicate with all other machines and devices across the plant floor and other remote locations. The purpose of the Connected Factory is to connect, monitor and control virtually anything, anywhere to drive operational productivity and profitability.

Similar to the Connected Factory and Industry 4.0, IIoT will mean that organisations will be able to connect many different devices, including older equipment, and get them to “talk” with each other in a way that they could not before. By gathering data from both new and legacy devices, organisations can use that data to improve efficiency and gain a competitive advantage.

Many of today’s organisations are eager to implement Connected Factory, Industry 4.0 and/or IIoT concepts to realise benefits, such as reduced operational costs and better visibility and control. While it is, however, unrealistic and cost-prohibitive for most organisations to construct green-field facilities or “rip-and-replace” legacy equipment, many solutions utilise existing equipment and allow components to be strategically deployed to extend monitoring and control capabilities without impacting day-to-day operations. When updating a facility, it is important that expectations be set early. Despite the vision of an IP address for every piece of equipment in a network, the reality is end users will not be able to log into every panel meter, water pump and drive from mobile devices.

Bringing a facility into the 21st century involves several core fundamentals to help ensure a smooth transition and provide the ability to access, monitor and control information from anywhere.

Key elements discussed in the white paper cover:

• Legacy Equipment
• Protocols/Communication
• Location/Environment
• Security
• Staff