Millions of wireless IoT modules utilized on factory floors, along with other cutting-edge technologies and procedures, have given rise to smart manufacturing.
IDC forecasts that in 2019, the manufacturing industry spent about $200 billion on IoT, more than twice more than the consumer industry, which was the second-largest when it comes to IoT vertical markets. Per a message from ISG on 4th June 2020, the industry of smart manufacturing had significant growth during Q1 2020, with a compound annual rate of growth of 12.4% predicted until 2025. How come?
Smart manufacturing IoT, also referred to as Industrial IoT or Industry 4.0, offers complete visibility of processes, assets, resources, as well as products in global markets that are intensely competitive. The outcome?
Optimized efficiency, enhanced ROI, and streamlined business processes are all supported by smart manufacturing. Our Company has aided clients in Connecting, Securing, and Monetizing their business operations with IoT technologies for some time now.
We provide some of industry’s best practices that has been compiled in our web dossier to assist businesses in making a wise transition towards “Industry 4.0.” Connection of equipment, integrating various industrial data, protecting industrial systems during the duration of your machine, and maybe licensing the intellectual property of your company are all essential to success.
Let’s begin immediately.
Smart Manufacturing IoT: How does smart manufacturing relate to the Internet of Things?
Factory managers may automatically gather and evaluate data using smart manufacturing to make better decisions and maximize production.
IoT connectivity systems installed at factory level transmit data from machines and sensors to the cloud. The data is examined, merged with relevant information, then disseminated to relevant parties with authorization.
This data flow is made possible by IoT technology, which uses both wireless and wired communication. It also allows you to track as well as manage processes offsite and instantly alter production schedules in real-time as needed.
And there’s more. It significantly enhances manufacturing efficiency, lowering waste, accelerating production, and enhancing yield and product quality.
Furthermore, there are numerous advantages to replacing this hierarchical structure—which historically constituted a “shop floor”— having an open, flatter, completely networked approach that integrates R&D and supply chain management.
Among them is the improvement of world manufacturing techniques linked to resource management cost, quality, and performance. It also makes it possible for the manufactured goods to actively participate in the planning and design of the manufacturing process.
Why? Since connected smart devices may send information to a factory, any quality problems can be found early on and rectified by changing the manufacturing methods or the product design.
It’s also excellent for getting consumer feedback. The trick? Additionally, smart gadgets can reveal information about how people utilize them. Also, it’s a great chance to modify features that better suit the market’s actual needs.
What Changes are being Made in the Manufacturing Market?
Powered by IoT, the Fourth Industrial Revolution has been profoundly changing the manufacturing industry (also known as factory 4.0). Technological advances have made it possible for this section to change through technological breakthroughs happening at an unknown pace.
Decision-makers today are being forced to rethink how the products are created and produced, much as how a steam engine brought about profound changes during 17th century as well as how the digital revolution shook the world during the later part of 20th century.
Machine Learning and artificial intelligence, industrial robotics, IoT analytics, 5G, as well as digital twins are other important enablers in addition to the Internet of Things.
What are the Implications of 5G for Smart manufacturing?
Higher bandwidth, lower latency, and faster speeds are all features of 5G. A nearly immediate remote reprogramming will enable this very same machine to carry out many jobs.
Additionally, it only takes a few seconds to remotely update robots on production lines. Robots will immediately provide haptic feedback to human operators who are remotely supervising operations, allowing them to actually feel whatever they will be doing in real time.
AI and machine learning will advance to previously unheard-of levels thanks to real-time communication. Smart manufacturing strategies to increase the development of corporate value. The IoT revolution has been predicted to have a significant positive impact on value and productivity.
To support their manufacturing industries, the three largest manufacturers in the world—China, the US, as well as Europe—have started specific smart factory programs. In essence, these industry titans are involved in a battle for competitiveness in smart manufacturing.
The fourth industrial revolution as well as the Internet of Things is expected to benefit all forms of industry. Just consider it. Take for example, discrete manufacturing can be described as the process of creating unique things that can each be touched as well as counted separately and is frequently related to assembly lines. It includes increasingly connected objects like furniture, vehicles, and airplanes.
Similar to this, the IoT revolution benefits process manufacturing, which produces things in large quantities using well developed recipes, by improving plant monitoring, streamlining the supply chain, including enhancing the quality of the trace and track and processes for distribution.
Demand and supply will be balanced, product design will be enhanced, manufacturing efficiency will be optimized, and waste will be drastically reduced thanks to smart procedures.
Why is Security such a Big Deal During Smart Manufacturing IoT?
Currently, the manufacturing industry accounts for a third of all the attacks, making it the main infrastructure cybercrime victim. This is due to the fact that most traditional manufacturing facilities were not created considering cybersecurity and that hacking technology somehow has advanced significantly.
New risks appear as firms switch from conventional factories to the IP-based, IoT-connected systems. An increase in cyberattack surface is a natural result of integrating processes and other smart manufacturing components.
Cybercrimes and attacks that can result in remote access, interference, intellectual property theft, and data alteration or loss increase with each connection point. Many tried as well as true security measures still work, but they aren’t often included into systems right from the start.
Manufacturers should adapt by adding defenses to old, connected systems and equipment in order to guarantee acceptable security. And for brand-new, cutting-edge manufacturing facilities, security architecture must be taken into account from the start.
Is that terrible news? The adoption of organizational changes, fresh IoT technologies, as well as business models which might optimize operations, increase competitiveness, and provide clients with new services have also been slowed down by security concerns.
Sadly, businesses that lag behind will have a harder time keeping up the more progressive competitors who approach the problem head-on.
Setting Up a Smart Factory
The obstacles to unlocking exponential value are the construction and scaling of smart factories. Manufacturers must collaborate with factory automation vendors as well as systems integrators which offer solutions to update factories or create brand-new systems in order to remain competitive.
The best way for manufacturers in connecting as well as securing their systems for smart manufacturing IoT is through working with seasoned developers, integrators, as well as technology partners. The guidance required to design the optimal system to suit business needs can be obtained from seasoned partners.
Connect
Hardwiring, Bluetooth, WiFi, RFID, Wide-Area Networks of low power like LTE M and LoRa, including IoT Terminals which function right from the beginning and connect through industrial interfaces that are flexible are just a few examples of how manufacturing processes could be connected.
Each choice has particular advantages and best-case scenarios. Choosing a smart manufacturing IoT system will help in deciding the right solution that works best for personal use cases and can be assisted by a partner with relevant knowledge.
Secure
Reputable automation partners understand that security architecture is an important concern for manufacturing and a means of gaining a competitive edge in the market, so they incorporate it throughout a value chain. They also must think about security as well as how to safeguard intelligent manufacturing systems against errors or fraud.
The TKM technology enables manufacturers to divorce these qualifications from the manufacturing process, allowing for business scalability and maintaining customer trust.
Monetize
Successful monetization of a software can be described as another factor for industry participants to take into account. One of the most important steps in the production of industrial equipment is licensing and protection of intellectual property. This includes trade secrets, highly advanced software, and pricing schemes based on feature sets that change depending on usage.
What Actions should Stakeholders take to Safeguard the Smart Manufacturing IoT Facilities?
Every manufacturing systems must incorporate security measures from the beginning in order to enable failsafe production as well as provide protection from online threats. I’m sorry, but there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to this.
To defend and safeguard the hardware, the data, the network, as well as the software and applications that power smart manufacturing IoT systems, manufacturers must instead collaborate with experts.
Conclusion
5G serves as a catalyst that ensures new transformation to the industry and was created to meet the requirements of the industrial IoT. The revolution of industry 4.0 is set to be accelerated by 5G technologies by enabling even more flexibility, agility, quality, and cost control. This is why smart manufacturing IoT is very important.
