IOT and the industry of the future

The industry of the future, also called industry 4.0, corresponds to the transformation of industry, initiated by the fourth industrial revolution. It is based on ultra-connected and automated factory models, allowing to meet customers' customization needs. The challenge of this new industry is to keep production costs low, even with small production volumes.

The main driver of this industrial revolution is the IOT (Internet of Things), enabling the total connection of factory equipment in the coming years, as well as the complete collection and analysis of data to switch to predictive production and logistics models.

THE IIOT

In the context of industry, we speak of IIOT (Industrial Internet of Things). This technology enables the connection and communication of different parts of production and logistics chains. IIOT equipment integrates sensors and communication tools that generate data on its operation.

The collection of data from IIOT equipment coupled with the use of artificial intelligence allows an analysis and exploitation of the data that is optimal. This represents significant gains in productivity, security and quality control for companies, in order to remain ever more competitive.

The benefits of the IIOT

The IIOT allows to evolve towards a predictive model in all the logistic and production processes. This technology also enables the evolution of equipment maintenance models : it is now possible to anticipate breakdowns and failures on the various machines, but also to measure their impact on inventory management, production cycles or wear and tear on machines.

The coupling of IIOT with robotics allows for increasingly autonomous machines in production and logistics processes: they can perform more tasks to assist operators, and some machines can even make decisions. Intelligent equipment not only enables operators to perform more complex tasks by having robots assist them with simple tasks, but also increases the safety of warehouse workers. Machines are now equipped with sensors that can detect anomalies in their operation or even an unusual presence that could be dangerous. They then stop or slow down their process autonomously and signal the danger to the rest of the operators by broadcasting a safety alert.

The help of artificial intelligence (AI) in faster anticipation and detection of anomalies allows a reduction of costs on production cycles and supply chains, which is a real advantage for companies.

IIOT, added to AI and big data, represents the perfect grouping of technologies for Industry 4.0 : these three technologies enable hyper and interconnected factories and warehouses through the use of smart sensors capable of routing data to various devices for better analysis and use.

Use cases

IIOT in the industry of the future has multiple use cases, both in the factory and in the warehouse.

• Automation and monitoring of production lines :

The interconnection of IIOT equipment allows for real-time, almost immediate, information flows so that any anomalies that may occur can be analyzed more quickly. By being aware of equipment failures almost immediately when they occur, it is therefore possible to eliminate them quickly, to limit the impact on production activities.

Companies using IIOT in their plants are seeing a significant improvement in production because they are getting better monitoring and tracking of their equipment through real-time analysis.

• Predictive Maintenance :

As mentioned earlier in this article, IIOT and IOT in general have brought a new model of maintenance management. It is now possible to obtain the real-time status of different machines equipped with sensors that send back data for analysis. The constant analysis of this operating data makes it easier to predict an upcoming problem or failure, allowing for faster and more efficient interventions thanks to the alerts sent.

By treating the problem as soon as it occurs (or even before), equipment downtime is significantly reduced, reducing the damage that could be done to the business.

• Inventory Management :

Gathering accurate information on the status of your inventory allows you to implement new procedures for storing your products. You optimize all your stock management operations with the help of a software that helps you in the realization of your inventories, your replenishments. It is even possible to automate these operations : in case of stock shortage, you receive an alert, allowing you to proceed to the restocking of this product, in an automatic way.

Artificial intelligence also allows you to automate the home automation of your warehouses to improve the storage conditions of your products. Your devices can therefore rely on real-time analysis to adjust different parameters such as temperature, ventilation or even brightness in order to limit losses related to waste and optimize the operating costs of your warehouses.

• Improved infrastructure security :

The integration of sensors in your various equipments allows an autonomous monitoring of their functioning, but also the implementation of more reactive systems in case of problems, in order to better anticipate and prevent the risks of accident.

Emergency procedures can thus be triggered autonomously as soon as the devices detect abnormal activity that could lead to a danger for the infrastructure, but also for the operators of the production and logistics chains.

IIOT and IOT in a more general case are therefore drivers for improving factories and warehouses. They allow the implementation of interconnected equipment, which, linked to different software and thanks to artificial intelligence, can optimize the various processes by improving their quality, safety and productivity.

With the appearance of more and more connected objects in the coming years, factories and warehouses will also become increasingly connected, which will represent a significant gain for companies seeking to remain ever more competitive.