Key points
Manufacturing companies, by leveraging the tremendous developments taking place in computers, computer networks, and convergence of information and communication technologies, can gain competitive advantages and achieve productivity improvements, efficient deployment of all resources including finance, material & human, and customer fulfilment.
The specific digital technologies typically associated with this expectation include Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Edge Computing, Cloud Computing, Big Data and Analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Autonomous Robots, and such others. The term industrial internet is sometimes used to describe these technologies.
Benefits of coalescing Industrial internet with automation systems
Manufacturing companies depend on automation systems, such as distributed control systems (DCS), programmable logic controllers (PLC), supervisory data acquisition systems (SCADA), and others for managing their production processes.
These systems, by using industrial internet technologies, can expand their functionalities to include predictive maintenance & such others and improve their capabilities relating to connectivity, data analytics and intelligent processing, etc.
Functionality and capabilities-enhanced automation system will be a powerful tool that can aid manufacturing companies to comprehensively monitor production assets & manufacturing processes and visualise that information to all the stake-holders in the value creation networks.
Thereby, the decision making process will become more efficient. The technology buzz is that these digital technologies can potentially revolutionise the manufacturing landscape and usher the next manufacturing era, often referred to as Industry 4.0.
Evolutionary approach
However, automation suppliers have some challenges in incorporating Industrial Internet as the centre piece in their automation system architecture and end users also prefer that approach.
Both suppliers and end users prefer to use only proven technologies in control systems as they cannot compromise on safety and availability requirements of plant control systems.
If the past is any guide, they will proceed cautiously in the use of industrial internet technologies. Data acquisition systems preceded the entry of distributed control systems; in the initial stages DCS was backed up by panel based instruments and controllers. Similarly when PLC entered the market, they were backed up with electronic relay based systems.
Automation suppliers are adopting a similar strategy with regard to the adoption of Industrial Internet Technologies. They are leveraging the power of Industrial Internet Technologies more to enhance the functionality of control systems.
For example GE’s Predix platform is an application platform that extends digital industrial applications. It is designed for high volume, low latency, and integration-intensive data management and analytics-driven outcomes.
Similarly Siemens’ MindSphere is a cloud-based, open IoT operating system. It can be applied in instances that require extensive analyses of vast amount of data for optimisation, simulation, and decision-making, examples being predictive maintenance and plant optimisation applications.
Predictive maintenance of plant machinery and equipment, which helps a manufacturing firm to reduce down time and maintenance costs, requires extensive data gathering and analysis capabilities.
Plant optimisation system, which helps maximise a plant's yield and efficiency, is another application that requires large data from various sources to be analysed for achieving the objective.
With the help of platforms like Predix and MindSphere, the specific applications can be developed. There are numerous application-areas in industries, which can benefit from the inherent capabilities, such as connectivity and data analytics capabilities that industrial internet brings to the table. Manufacturing companies, which want to leverage those capabilities, have to get started with the journey so that they can reap the benefits.
Implementation roadmap
Deployment of industrial internet involves integration of physical systems with cyber systems so that they become vested with data & information processing, intelligence, and internet connectivity capabilities.
The process of integration involves embedding digital technology components along with sensors and actuating devices in plant equipment, machinery and others in the value chains.
Physical systems, such as compressors, pumps etc., embedded with cyber & control components such as sensors & actuators and internet enabled, become cyber-physical systems (CPS). They become empowered to self-monitor and autonomously operate.
A process plant, for example, has auxiliaries / equipment, such as air compressors and many automatically controlled valves that typically are periodically inspected and maintained involving downtime and loss of revenue.
The owner operators of such plants can convert some of them into cyber physical systems so that they generate the information required for adopting the predictive maintenance practices instead of preventive or break-down maintenance methodologies.
Control valve related data can be gathered by embedding smart positioner and sensors, which will provide the information for carrying out friction analysis to determine the amount of friction present in the valve assembly; excessive friction hinders the valve movement.
Air consumption analysis will reveal whether the valve assembly is using excessive amount of air. With wireless vibration and acoustic transmitters embedded at the right locations on a control valve assembly, it is possible to carry out trend analysis to assess the possibility of leaks.
Such applications can result in improving the performance & uptime of control valves and their failure reduction & reliability improvements. A similar strategy can also be adopted in the case of pneumatic air compressors; by monitoring parameters, such as frame vibration and temperature of pressure-packing case & bearing and using cloud analytics one can predict compressor performance deterioration.
Based on the information generated and its analysis, one can determine whether and when maintenance needs to be scheduled, what kind of work needs to be done on the equipment. This can save time and money & eliminate unnecessary work and thus contribute to contribute to enhancing plant’s profitability & performance.
Each manufacturing entity that wants to benefit from leveraging the power of industrial internet has to draw up its own roadmap driven by its objectives and priorities.
Industrial internet technologies are deployable-ready especially for applications where reliability criterion of the industrial internet technologies is not critically important.
The way forward for a company is to begin the journey by identifying existing physical assets, whose improved performance can contribute significantly to enhancing its profitability & performance.
Next, it has to decide on the additional monitoring & analysis required for achieving the objective; proceed accordingly to convert the identified physical assets into cyber-physical systems for gathering the information required; and initiate the implementation process.
It has to set achievable milestones with each milestone having a specific objective, pursue them, evaluate the achievements, make course corrections as the journey continues, and set new objectives and pursue them.
Having a system integrator, with operational technology and information technology skills and manufacturing technology knowledge, as an implementation partner will be of great help in ensuring the success of the project.
