IIoT has become the ideal method for conducting condition monitoring. As many companies begin to invest in such development, it’s clear that IIoT is only going to gain popularity as the years go on.
Understanding Condition Monitoring
Condition monitoring is a very simple concept. In fact, you can interpret it literally to understand. You see, it means that you’re monitoring the condition of your machines.
It’s a standard practice in many warehouses and factories to ensure that work is coming along on schedule.
It’s Importance
For many companies, the goal is to maximize output according to a set timetable. This means that you have to be able to predict downtime and carry out maintenance when it won’t interfere with regular operations.
Hence condition monitoring becomes essential for optimal efficiency and the best possible output. No one wants to deal with unstable or inoperable machinery because of the impact on profit margins.
How IIoT Enters The Mix
To that end, IIoT takes advantage of the internet and allows you to supervise and monitor your machines.
This is possible thanks to the use of devices that emit signals, these signals provide you with the relevant information and make it possible to keep an eye on everything.
Which Industries Benefit Most
As you might have guessed, industries that heavily rely on automated labor are the prime beneficiaries. Some of them include:
- Manufacturing
- Automotive
- Textile
- Oil and Gas
- Transportation
- Food and Drink Processing
By relying on IIoT-based condition monitoring, these industries completely eliminate the possibility of mishandling or defected items. Keeping their machines in good order ensures consistency in their products as well.
The Accessibility of IIoT
IIoT for condition monitoring isn’t the ideal fit for every company. Using this equipment requires you to tag every item in your inventory with IIoT devices.
As a newer technology, these tags are pretty expensive and the cheaper options can’t be tracked constantly.
This definitely puts a damper on things for any smaller-sized business, but it’s an aspect of implementation that needs to be considered.
Points To Consider
As mentioned above, costs can be a discouraging factor of the equation. On a similar tangent here are some other notes to keep in mind before you look into building a solution:
- Smaller inventories are best for this kind of method
- The use of IIoT implements cloud computing for storage
- Your software will allow you to reference data received from any machine
- When you get the hang of IIoT you can set up predictive maintenance procedures
- Effectively reduce your maintenance costs while getting maximum use out of your machinery and equipment
Conclusion
In conclusion, condition monitoring has become easier than ever before. With the internet and specialized software, you have every opportunity to manage maintenance without affecting revenue.
In an ideal world, this sort of technology would be available for any company but because of the way our society works many small business aren’t able to fully benefit.
That being said, the convenience factor is undeniable and anyone with the resources to pull it off should definitely do so.