Industry 4.0, IIOT, or the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT), is a crucial link in the evolution of production chains and the functioning of companies. It is because it helps close the information gap between what happens in the machines, production plants, and other areas of the company. When the industrial environment integrates into the digital business ecosystem creates the ideal scenario for synergies that lead the company to achieve new milestones of efficiency and competitiveness.
And how does IIOT work?
Industry 4.0 consists of connecting the machines, sensors, PLCs, and other devices in the production plant so that the data is stored in a data warehouse and analyzed for continuous improvement. Similarly, depending on the needs of each case, they can be connected so that the data streams in real-time and alerts prompt when the operation or performance is outside the desired parameters. These alerts help to take timely corrective actions, which reduce the total cost of managing production failures or errors.
In this aspect, Industry 4.0 helps companies to detect on time which part of the production process is failing. With more detailed and precise detection, you can fix errors affecting production efficiency and quality on time. For example, you can monitor indicators like temperature and humidity at different workstations and their variations. This way, it is possible to know precisely whether the production conditions are adequate to ensure the best quality.
The benefits do not end with general monitoring because it is also possible to relate information derived from machines with other information systems, for example, an ERP, to know the exact conditions for a specific customer’s order. It improves the company’s responsiveness in production and customer service, as it delivers the necessary information to the areas responsible for making management of product failures.
What impact does predictive maintenance enabled by Industry 4.0 have?
One of the impacts of Industry 4.0 is the reduction of maintenance costs. The main reason is that it reduces the non-availability times generated by taking the machines to the limit of failure, which is more typical of traditional corrective maintenance models.
According to Deloitte, predictive maintenance:
• Reduces the time required for planning by 10% to 50%
• Increases machine runtime and availability by 10% to 20%
• Reduces total maintenance costs by 5% to 10%
Guarantee quality products with IIOT
With the transformation towards Industry 4.0, companies improve their competitiveness for many reasons 1 of them is that they can guarantee that their production processes comply with the highest quality standards from beginning to end. It makes more sense when they understand that ensuring that machines are in optimal working condition contributes to delivering quality products by avoiding production errors caused by wear and tear. Especially those that may go unnoticed by other maintenance programs and are only evidenced when there are failures in the products delivered to customers.
Depending on the type of product, it is even possible to collect information on the operation of products already sold, which helps to offer a better after-sales service. This is useful when such products require maintenance or spare parts because they can be provided promptly, maximizing the life of the products and reducing non-availability times. This helps companies differentiate themselves from their competitors and improve their customers’ satisfaction.
What do companies need to move towards Industry 4.0?
The first step is to ensure that all the elements of the production plant that need to be connected are indeed connected. This includes not only the machines but also additional sensors that can report valuable information such as temperature and ambient humidity. Once this is done, it is important to define where the collected information will be stored and how it will be analyzed.
This final choice can make all the difference in how you can leverage the collected data. Tools such as DataGate IIOT can help you centrally manage all the information flows from your business and production environment for analysis using artificial intelligence. If you want a free demo of what DataGate IIOT can do for your company, contact us, and we will help you transform your business.