IoT Use Cases that Empower the Manufacturing Industry

IoT use Cases that Empower the Manufacturing Industry

While the digital advancements and industry 4.0 keep fueling manufacturing, the IoT is the key to its industrial transformation. Internet of Things promises to provide advantages like safety, improved maintenance, reduced costs, increased efficiency, and process automation to manufacturing. However, some entrepreneurs are still skeptical about its potential as they think it is just hyped. 

So, let’s analyze the IoT use cases that can steer clear their doubts and help the manufacturing industry produce top-notch products quickly.

#Case 1: Predictive Maintenance

Generally, IoT is a network of interconnected devices that provides data to the central cloud-based services and transfers it to the end-users. When IoT is implemented into manufacturing and industrial processes, it turns into IIoT – Industrial Internet of Things.

IIoT basically increases efficiency and averts unforeseen breakdown of industrial equipment. As machines are prone to malfunction during the production process, predictive maintenance is needed to eliminate maintenance costs and equipment’s TCO considerably. 

Technologies like IoT and AI allow manufacturers to monitor inventory and track supply chain to prevent downtime, stock shortage, and business losses consequently. IIoT sensors and apps also provide more control over the products in stock by sending real-time alerts.

For manufacturing, predictive maintenance is in direct proportion to savings. When it comes to industrial assets, IIoT can assess the equipment’s performance as well as boost efficiency.

#Case 2: Virtual Prototyping

The industrial businesses, adopting IoT technology, leverage the digital replica of their equipment to monitor their device’s state, performance, and expedite internal operations. 

Besides, with customer satisfaction becoming a paramount factor and manufacturing businesses becoming more service-like, the digital twin technology is an opportunity for OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to differentiate their products and improve them with a new value-added service. Thus, manufacturers can enhance their business potential and deliver new data-driven solutions to their customers.

IoT manufacturing app facilitates simulation of the machines’ work to predict potential issues and reduce obstacles. By anticipating how the equipment will work before its launch saves a huge amount of money. Before investing in hardware, firmware, or software, you can minimize risks and costs by developing a replica of equipment i.e., digital twins. Hence, you will become more confident in managing assets by assessing the machine’s functionality.

#Case 3: Process Automation

Manufacturers can automate almost all the operations using IIoT apps. Smart sensors networks connected to a cloud system offer massive control over manufacturing overflow. Applied in manufacturing, IoT reduces human intervention with smart sensor networks connected to the cloud system.

Moreover, almost all resources can be tracked globally using smart IoT devices. The IIoT apps allow manufacturers and business managers to control the demand and optimize supply, thus eradicating waste and minimizing shared costs in the value chain. IoT also reduces manual labor, eliminates human effort for tedious evaluations, and checks with automated 24/7 machinery control.

The real-time data offers enormous opportunities for resource optimization. Leveraging this data, manufacturers can gain better visibility over their supply chain operations. Connected IIoT sensors also improve manufacturing productivity by maintaining production uptime.
The Future of Industrial IoT Applications

The manufacturing industry can reach new heights of success and advancements employing IIoT applications. Considering the main objective of IIoT apps – manufacturing high-quality and cost-effective products – the future of this digital innovation is quite promising.

 Additionally, it is high time for manufacturers to unleash the potential of IoT and leverage the opportunities offered by this technology. So, they should partner with experienced IoT app developers to implement IoT into their processes. It will help them to improve visibility over the assets, enhance efficiency, and identify trends that can revamp processes and empower manufacturing.