Industrial Internet of things (IIoT) refers to the application of the Internet of Things in the industrial field. It is an industry and application ecology formed by the comprehensive and deep integration of the Internet and a new generation of information technology and industrial systems. It refers to the practice of physical items equipped with electronic products that enable electronic products to connect to the Internet and exchange data with other devices. It can include everything from dishwashers to bicycles, and its impact is changing the world.
In heavy industry, due to the Internet of Things, warehouses and factory floors are undergoing tremendous changes. Industrial computers, especially industrial tablet computers, enable the Internet of Things to flourish in such an environment. In the process, they can simplify the production process, ensure more efficient transportation, or help a given company increase profits. How can such a system promote the Internet of Things? If you want to use them in an IoT environment, what qualities should you seek in them? We list some examples below.
Easily increase efficiency
Automated machinery and assembly line equipment usually use industrial computers to allow workers to control them through a human machine interface (HMI). IoT integration can aggravate this process, allowing people to monitor automation systems more effectively.
For example, sensors connected to components on a car assembly line (or automated machinery responsible for assembling cars) can detect high temperature, vibration, and similar structural problems, which can cause component damage. It can also detect repetitive trends in these directions, suggesting a batch of components with common structural problems, or perhaps early components that have such problems during the assembly process. In turn, this will alert operators to the problem and allow them to correct the problem before causing more damage.
Industrial tablet computers allow human monitoring personnel to quickly find problems through HMI: pinpoint the location of the problem on the production line and close the process to correct it. By stopping the problem early and helping to indicate which (if any) assembled products may be affected by this problem, you can save a lot of money.
Predictive maintenance
A malfunctioning machine can bring production to a halt during repairs: this causes the company to suffer a huge loss of productivity. Regular maintenance can identify failures before they start, but this can take a lot of man-hours and often involves shutting down production.
The Internet of Things can change this equation. The sensor networks that make up the Internet of Things provide big data that can be analyzed and evaluated. The machine can report regular maintenance to the operator on its own to ensure that routine inspections are not neglected, which may cause bigger problems. When IoT machines do fail, they can send information to identify the exact nature of the problem, thereby preventing small repairs from turning into long and expensive repairs caused by misdiagnosed problems.
RFID readers improve warehouse automation
IoT technology can also be used in warehouses and storage rooms to promote automated management. For example, an automatic storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) can classify and organize products for distribution. Sensors are placed along the production line, and radio frequency ID tags (RFID) can identify the specific SKU of each box. In this way, they can be accurately classified and stacked in the correct area.
The controller can use an industrial touch computer with an RFID reader to track the process and make adjustments or changes as needed. For example, if a new product enters the warehouse, the SKU of the product can be entered into the system and a storage location can be assigned to it. Then, AS/RS will automatically adjust the process to ensure that the new product can finally be shipped to the expected place. This not only greatly simplifies the organization process, but also helps staff quickly determine the location of a given product, otherwise these locations may be lost in the rows and stacks.
