adminInternet of Things has been reaching out to almost every sector, and as a result, it is expected that the global IIoT market will reach $103.38 billion by 2026. Today IoT devices are more affordable, and many manufacturers invest in smart factory technology. One of the significant parts of smart factory technology is IoT sensors. It is essential to gather the necessary information and send data to the cloud for analysis in manufacturing. Businesses analyze data collected from the sensors to produce the most fitting solution to enhance productivity, avoid unplanned downtime, and cut manufacturing expenses.
IoT Sensors
In the Industrial Internet of Things, sensors are able to detect different types of external information and change it into data or signals that humans and machines can comprehend. Data is stored in a database which is managed either on the cloud or within the building for processing and analysis.
IoT sensors employ different types of technology like optics, infrared and thermal to catch the required information. Sensors can also collect one or many kinds of data. Sensors include measuring distance, levels, pressure, environment changes, or anomalies in production line batches.
Types of IoT Sensors
Vision Sensors:
Images are caught by a camera and processed using software to know parts’ presence, orientation, and accuracy. Adoption of vision sensors ensures product quality and consistency throughout batches. It is used chiefly on automotive, food and beverage, and general manufacturing production lines.
Proximity Sensors:
This sensor is used to calculate the distance between two objects. It is used primarily in manufacturing, where machines must know distances between products or measurements for assembly robots.
Pressure Sensors:
This sensor is used to measure the pressure of fluids or gases in an industrial environment. It is vital to maintain the correct pressure for the product quality or safety of the crew.
Temperature Sensors:
The temperature of the component indicates if they are failing or overheating. This can allow the maintenance crew to replace the fault before it results in expensive mechanical failure. Temperature sensors also monitor the ambient temperature to assure the quality of the product or food safety. Instant alert of a cooler going over-regulated temperature helps in saving the unplanned cost of food waste.
Humidity Sensors:
Balanced moisture can be an essential factor contributing to the final product quality. Monitoring the moisture guarantees that quality standards are always fulfilled.
Humidity also degrades equipment, so this sensor can inform the team if the humidity level gets disturbed. It is crucial to maintain the required moisture to enhance sensitive equipment’s life.
Level Sensors:
Level sensors alert the team if the fluid or solids level goes down. In this way, it ensures that hoppers are filled before they run out, and production time is not lost.
Acceleration and Vibration Sensors:
It is crucial to monitor the movement of equipment to know the accuracy or need for machinery maintenance—excessive vibration in the machine indicates loose bolts or worn-out bearings or motors that are about to fail.
Sound Sensors:
The pitch of some machinery also indicates whether it is operating correctly or not. By observing the machine’s pitch, the maintenance crew can be informed if the machine is running too high or low and needs repair or replacement.
With the evolvement of IIoT technology, major industrial sensor manufacturers are designing “smart” sensors. These sensors are easy to implement than analogue ones (as it requires PLCs to process and interpret data protocol). A smart sensor is able to process data within the sensor and transmit it directly back to the managing platform. This causes data transmission to be more versatile and saves bandwidth by just sending helpful information.
IoT Sensor Connectivity
IIoT deployment may involve a few or thousands of sensors monitoring and controlling a single machine or an entire production line. Sensors need to be connected to send back the data to the network and cloud software. This connection can be wireless or wired, and each of them comes with some form of pros and cons.
Many manufacturing plants opt to hardwire their IoT devices using industrial Ethernet cables. Hardwiring can guarantee a reliable connection, but the distance between sensors, I/O blocks and PLCs can limit its function. There is also the risk of damage to the cable, which comes with the cost of replacing it.
Nowadays, wireless IoT sensors are in trend as wireless are more powerful and reliable. It can cover a much larger area and distance. It is more scalable as many sensors can be deployed through this.
For instance, a single private LTE network can wirelessly connect many devices on a factory floor and provide seamless functioning.
How Are Manufacturers Improving Productivity?
Here are some examples that prove that IoT sensors play an essential role in helping manufacturers save costs and improve productivity.
Enhanced Product Quality:
In machines already connected to the cloud platforms, it is easy to store data such as temperature and pressure to track in production batches digitally. Machine vision via high-resolution cameras is another way of tracking products through a production line. Vision sensors with software can monitor product quality. Hence, this technology can reduce poor-quality products from reaching consumers who can imperil the company.
Minimize Unplanned Downtime with Predictive Maintenance:
The accessibility to real-time data and cloud-based analytics allows engineers and maintenance crew to spot inefficiencies in machinery. It is more valuable than scheduled maintenance, in which programs can analyze data collected from sensors to predict if an unplanned breakdown will occur or not. This ultimately helps technicians replace components before they fail, dodging any accident or expensive repair.
Warehouse Management and Asset Tracking:
In a smart warehouse, the IoT sensors can help track the flow of assets throughout the factory. Autonomous robots can pick or move or pack orders without human interference. Automating these tasks can allow employees to focus on other priority tasks.
Improve Procurement and Forecasting:
Sensors can also be helpful for procurement managers. Sensors installed on the production line can watch the assembly of products, help control raw materials usage, and reduce waste. It also alerts the crew when the supply goes down. Thus monitoring these essential items using sensors can reduce waste and enhance forecasting.
Product Development:
We all know that product development is one of the most critical and costly processes in manufacturing. Manufacturers can reduce the sum and make a better decision before concluding on total production.
One of the best ways is to gather data through sensors on the production floor and advanced manufacturing analytics to reduce the time consumed in the R&D process.
In fact, sensors on products can be implemented to collect data in real-life scenarios. Collecting data in real-time allows engineers to make rapid changes to get a more efficient product.
Summary
It is apparent that sensors plan a crucial role in daily operations throughout factories. Data collected using sensors can help develop a more efficient production line, machine operation, and safety.