Page 30 - Food&Drink magazine July 2021

INDUSTRY 4.0
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is one of the most used set of buzzwords in recent years, but it is still poorly understood. Principle automation engineer for Beckhoff Automation and a member of Open IIoT Harry Mulder explains what it is and how it can help your business.
How IIoT can help you
THE acronym IoT and its derivative IIoT are everywhere, generating a lot of excitement whenever they arise. Yet they are still poorly understood by many. So, what do they mean and, more importantly, what can they do for your business?
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the internet being used to interconnect a multitude of devices. Estimates vary, but it is believed that around 30 billion devices are currently connected to the internet – or roughly four devices for every human – and the number is growing sharply year on year.
IIoT refers to Industrial IoT, which is IoT that applies specifically to manufacturing and process industries.
IIoT again means the connecting of multiple devices to the internet, but this time all the devices are used in the industrial realm. This includes controllers (that run most industrial sites), but also a myriad of other devices, even down to individual sensors that provide simple on/off signals.
GAINS FROM INTERCONNECTIVITY
There are several advantages to be gained by interconnecting
devices. One problem that is overcome by large-scale inter-connectivity is that of “islands of automation”. This is where systems within a process work in isolation, but not together. The integration of automation systems with supply chains is one benefit that widespread interconnectivity can bring.
The main reason for inter-connectivity is the mass monitoring of devices. By collecting data from many devices and storing it over a long period, we can closely examine what each stage of a
component was doing throughout the manufacturing process. This helps track down the cause so that it can be rectified. Wastage is also reduced by improving the quality of output.
In the same way, we can monitor energy usage of a plant and identify causes of consumption spikes, which can be costly. Condition monitoring can also be applied to each piece of equipment, to improve its longevity and to gauge when to perform predictive maintenance. Similarly, we can improve production efficiency
process. It is not practical
for humans to be involved in such analysis, although they can still exert some influence over final outcomes.
DATA VOLUMES
The volume of data even a single plant can generate
is huge. It is so great that it
is often referred to as “Big Data” and needs to be stored in the cloud (also known as cyberspace). Once in the cloud, high-powered computers
can trawl through the data and analyse it meticulously. Both the data storage and analytical tools needed are of such sophistication that a specialist cloud service provider is required.
While industrial sites
have been able to store and monitor their production data in the past, it was always been on a much smaller
scale and on site. Modern tools, such as the cloud,
offer far superior facilities than previously possible.
WHAT IS INDUSTRY 4.0?
So significant is this movement towards data-centric manufacturing, that it is being
30 | Food&Drink business | July 2021 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au
“ IIoT has also advanced computerised automation, with techniques such as machine learning and other streams of artificial intelligence being used.”
process is doing. We involve as many devices as we can to see the interaction between them and form a much clearer picture of operations.
The stored data can be analysed, so if, for example, a product fails a quality test, we can see exactly what each
by detecting bottlenecks and much more.
IIoT has also advanced computerised automation, with techniques such as machine learning (ML) and other streams of artificial intelligence (AI) being used in the decision-making