Page 5 - Industrial Technology E XTRA 24th August 2020

peak performance by
analysing data from where
it is collected, providing
real-time actionable intelli-
gence to managers that
can inform decisions to
drive improved overall
equipment effectivenes.
The case for deploying
analytics at the edge is
growing rapidly year on year. A
recent report from Gartner shows that today 10% of data. The OEM receives consistent data about their
industrial IoT analytics are completed at the edge; machines giving them new intelligence about real-
jump forward to 2022 and this number is expected life usage patterns as well as real time visibility into
to be 50% and still rising. As edge computing is performance which can allow for effective predictive
better understood, and the platforms become maintenance. By entering into such a service
simpler to deploy and maintain, more autonomous, agreement, the OEM becomes an important partner
and more secure, it becomes increasingly difficult to of its end user for the life-time of the machine and
ignore its clear advantages. Setting out a clear Edge receives a steady revenue stream – a firmer financial
Computing strategy is now vital to maintaining a footing for their own R&D. The second approach to
competitive edge in the future. machines-as-a-service would be for a facility owner
to purchase a machine from the OEM, opening it up
Machines-as-a-service for use by other external end users looking to
A subscription-based model is becoming manufacture a specific product.
increasingly popular as it offers a host of benefits for The benefit of Edge Computing within both of
end users looking to cut costs while improving these approaches are the same. If you are paid a
capabilities. In the first instance, there is a subscription fee for a machine, keeping it ‘always-
reduction in capital expenditure. The added on’ keeps a continuous revenue stream for OEMs,
flexibility offered by this model also means that a facility owners and their customers.
new facility, machine line, or machine upgrade can But what about existing plant equipment? Edge
be designed, installed and operational far more Computing is a scalable and modular technology. It
quickly than before. This helps meet the rapid, can help enable equipment manufacturers’ existing
consumer-driven demand for responsive applications, such as monitoring and control
manufacturing, product variants and mass software, to be consolidated onto a single platform
personalisation. while enabling other critical applications to run on
OEMs have two main approaches to the as-a- the very same platform. This makes it easier to
service model. One approach includes selling the develop IIoT enabled machines and equipment and,
machine at little or no cost and receiving a small due to the scalable nature of Edge Computing
sum for every item or product it produces. By equipment, manufacturers can add future
implementing Edge Computing with this model, applications to address customers’ evolving digital
both OEMs and end users benefit from real-time transformation needs. With manufacturing, a sector

August 2020 • INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY EXTRA • p5