IIOT (Industrial Internet of Things)

 Industrial internet of things (IIOT):

Industrial Internet of Things phrase consists of three different words, i.e., Internet, industrial and things. The “Internet” is a global computer network consists of millions of publics, private and government networks while “Things” are objects embedded with electronics, sensors and software. By combining these two words it becomes a network of things embedded with software, electronics and networking capability through which these objects can collect and exchange required data. This is known as “Internet of Things”. When IoT applied in manufacturing it is known as “Industrial Internet of things”. This technology is a combination of different technologies like M2M communication, machine learning, big data, sensor data and automation; those are already existed in industries. Some of the well-known examples of IIOT technology are robotic arms for lifting or shifting materials, temperature sensors and level indicators etc. IIOT is a transformative manufacturing strategy that helps to improve productivity, quality, safety and delivery in an industry and manufacturers are increasing uses of IIOT solutions to enhance their analytics functionalities, to track assets and to upgrade their control rooms.

The Industrial Internet of Things was initially adopted by industries as a way to improve operational efficiency. But in today’s environment, it can improve the overall efficiency of industries in terms of productivity, quality, cost, delivery, safety and morale. The IIOT has significantly changed the working of industries, whether it is the detection of predictive maintenance of any drive or it is a real-time monitoring of any process parameter. IIOT devices helped industries to carry out many activities safely which previously were identified as accident-prone like acid tank level checking, corrosion detection inside a refinery pipe etc. IIOT technology not only applies to manufacturing, mining, oil, gas, agriculture and utility industries but also in hospitals, warehouses, transportation, logistics, ports and banking sector.

There are many different groups including academicians, researchers, developers and corporate people those have defined IIOT, but still, there is no unique definition is available for IIOT, which has been accepted by everyone. But still the best definition for IIOT would be: “Networks of industrial usable intelligent objects that can obtain, share, and analyze information to act upon a situation in a manner that is required by its user.”

Working:

IIOT is a network of intelligent devices connected to form systems that monitor, collect, exchange and analyze data. Each industrial IoT ecosystem consists of: 

• connected devices that can sense, communicate and store information about themselves;
• public and/or private data communications infrastructure;
• analytics and applications that generate business information from raw data;
• storage for the data that is generated by the IIOT devices; and
• people.

These edge devices and intelligent assets transmit information directly to the data communications infrastructure, where it's converted into actionable information on how a certain piece of machinery is operating. This information can be used for predictive maintenance, as well as to optimize business processes.

Industries that are using IIOT:

(1) There are countless industries that make use of IIOT. One example is the automotive industry, which uses IIOT devices in the manufacturing process. The automotive industry extensively uses industrial robots, and IIOT can help proactively maintain these systems and spot potential problems before they can disrupt production.

(2) The agriculture industry makes extensive use of IIOT devices, too. Industrial sensors collect data about soil nutrients, moisture and more, enabling farmers to produce an optimal crop.

(3) The oil and gas industry also uses industrial IOT devices. Some oil companies maintain a fleet of autonomous aircraft that can use visual and thermal imaging to detect potential problems in pipelines. This information is combined with data from other types of sensors to ensure safe operations.

Tank monitoring: Throwing rocks at a tank or using a stick to tap a tank to determine fluid levels have been common practices in the past that can be dramatically improved with IIOT applications. Tanks at production oil wells need to be monitored to ensure there is no overflow, which can result in hefty fines and clean-up costs. Monitoring onsite tanks with chemicals that are injected downhole to reduce pipeline corrosion are also an important part of daily operations. To reduce risk and optimize efficiencies, a company can install an automated tank monitoring solution that sends level readings as needed (such as by the minute, hourly or daily) to allow field managers to manage pickups or deliveries as well as preventive maintenance calls based on actual data and level readings. Taking this step also prevents the cost of sending personnel to each of the tanks on a rotation schedule, regardless of the tank levels. Instead of that they only send personnel when needed.

Applications of IIOT:

IIOT is a distinct advantage for any industry in assembling that produces actual items or oversees item transportation. IIOT can increment functional efficiencies, which thusly makes ready to make totally new plans of action. It has a scope of utilizations in a cross-segment of ventures.

Manufacturing Industry:

To understand how Industrial IoT is benefiting the manufacturing industry, let’s check some key applications:

• Asset Management:- Imagine a factory which is manufacturing some asset, the operator needs to verify regularly at what stage the asset has reached, change the control of the motor based on asset timings and control the production by looking at entry and exit points. In this scenario, it would be really helpful if we can reduce human intervention and track the assets smartly. Smart factory with the help of IIOT can track different factory asset locations with smart sensors, monitor demand-supply requirements, and manage the workflow, records, and production accordingly.

• Reducing Operational Costs:- Companies uses IIOT to monitor data coming in from their field equipment like turbines, hydro plants and solar systems and keep everything working in top order. It applies industrial analytics to this data to see precisely which equipment is ripe for maintenance. By ensuring that maintenance is done only when necessary, the company is able to prevent unnecessary loss of funds, and keep everything working seamlessly. To take things to the next level, GE uses IIOT along with smart software analytics to predict how much renewable energy production they will see from their wind and solar turbines, in accordance with the weather conditions.  By extracting smart insights from all this data, they help their customers plan the right strategy and “increase their revenues by 2 to 3 percent”. 

• Inventory Management:- To fully keep track of your inventory from the manufacturing unit to the warehouse to the retail outlet is a tedious task most businesses struggle to keep in order. With IIOT in place, you can constantly know just how many units of a particular item there are in your warehouse, what items you are running out of, what needs to be restocked and reordered. If you are in the perishable goods industry, this means even more to you, as you can clear up items that are nearing their ‘use-by’ dates, so you don’t end up tossing recently expired goods in the trash.

• Predictive Analytics:- Manufacturers can do the analysis of ongoing manufacturing status, estimate the timeline required to achieve the milestone, maintenance requirements for machines. The predictive analytics tool helps engineers identify the root cause of an issue and work on the mitigation plan thereby warning failures much in advance. As we are moving with this ecosystem, the production line will have more data that can provide more visibility to deal with complex scenarios leading to a more robust system.

• Efficient and Productive Process:- Mechanical equipment in the industry needs servicing and maintenance at regular intervals. If the equipment damages unexpectedly then it can affect the reduction in planned production, waste of time, and resources. IoT assisted production can avoid production downtime by servicing the equipment before it can lead to breakage. Eventually, production lines will have an increased amount of productivity with the help of enhanced analytics, downtime reduction, and decision making based on the machines that are being monitored leading to faster manufacturing.

• Safety Operations:- Machines in the industry can be hazardous and can turn into danger if not serviced regularly.  Featuring IIOT automation units can assure the safety of employees, machines. Also, the industry can incorporate robotics with machines to restrict workers working below ground level or in some special chamber.

Nowadays, many manufacturing companies have started investing their time & money towards developing smart IT-driven manufacturing solutions. The adoption of Industry 4.0 enables the industrial users to leverage their benefits such as asset management, predictive analytics, efficient and productive processes, and safety for operations. However, by leveraging the benefits, IIOT comes up with its own set of challenges for manufacturers and enterprises.

Benefits of IIOT:

IoT is a network of smart devices and via networks that are linked to databases. These devices monitor, collect, exchange, and analyze data. A typical IIOT system comprises of:

• Smart equipment that measures, stores, and communicates information
• Public or private internet networks that serve as a data communication structure
• Analytical applications that process raw data into data insights for optimized processes
• Tools that help decision-makers and employees utilize data for better business outcomes

Dataflow is crucial to ensuring that IIOT applications work optimally. To aid dataflows, companies use a data bus to distribute and manage real-time data. This technology paves the way for applications and devices to work together as a cohesive unit. While a database manages historical data at rest, a data bus manages data in motion.

IIOT streamlines and automates processes, which increases business productivity. It improves operational efficiency, lowers operational costs, and increases income-generation. Better automation levels enhance product quality, and this, combined with efficient operations, assists with predictive maintenance.

With IIOT, the chances of creating new revenue streams is much higher. Data insights can provide information into how an efficiently run operation can resolve little-known inefficiencies to enhance productivity. Performance or usage data leads to newer products or services. For example, manufacturers can work out asset-sharing models with other manufacturers. This resource sharing optimizes space and production capabilities while saving costs. Similarly, IIOT devices can monitor and better manage an HVAC system.

IIOT works on improving productivity and quality, without burdening resources. This helps immensely with business expansion.

Risks and Challenges of IIOT:

The biggest risks associated with IIOT use pertain to security. It's relatively common for IIOT devices to continue using default passwords, even after they have been placed into production. Similarly, many IIOT devices transmit data as clear text. These conditions would make it relatively easy for an attacker to intercept the data coming from an IIOT device. Similarly, an attacker could take over an insecure IIOT device and use it as a platform for launching an attack against other network resources.

Security is a big challenge for those who are responsible for an organization's IIOT devices, but so, too, is device management. As an organization adopts more and more IIOT devices, it will become increasingly important to adopt an effective device management strategy. More specifically, organizations must be able to positively identify IIOT devices to prevent the use of rogue devices. Establishing a means of identifying each individual device is also crucial for tasks such as replacing a failed device or performing a device refresh.

Patch management presents another big challenge regarding IIOT devices. It's becoming increasingly common for device manufacturers to issue periodic firmware updates. Organizations must have an efficient means of checking devices to see if they have the latest firmware installed and deploying new firmware if necessary. Additionally, such a tool must adhere to the organization's established maintenance schedule so as to not disrupt operations.

Future of IIOT:

The future of IIOT is tightly coupled with a trend known as Industry 4.0. Industry 4.0 is, essentially, the fourth Industrial Revolution.

Industry 1.0 was the first Industrial Revolution and occurred in the late 1700s as companies began to use water-powered or steam-powered machines in manufacturing. Industry 2.0 started at the beginning of the 20^th century and was brought about by the introduction of electricity and assembly lines. Industry 3.0 occurred in the latter part of the 20^th century and was tied to the use of computers in the manufacturing process.

Industry 4.0 is where we are today. Industry 4.0 is based on the use of connected electronic devices -- particularly, IIOT devices.

Going forward, IIOT devices will play a major role in digital transformations, especially as organizations attempt to digitize their production lines and supply chains. Additionally, big data analytics will evolve to incorporate IIOT data. This will make it possible for organizations to detect changing conditions in real time and respond accordingly.

Although IIOT devices have been around for several years, real-world adoption is still in its infancy. This is sure to change as 5G becomes increasingly prevalent and more and more organizations begin to realize what IIOT can do for them. There are a number of resources available online for organizations that want to get up to speed on IOT and IIOT.

Team:

1. Rauf Jamadar

2. Sahil Kakurle

3. Kalyani Laddha

4. Abhijeet Kamble

Department of SY Common,

Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune.