System Integrators Start with IIoT

System Integrators Start with IIoT Now 

“Companies whose investment processes demand quantification of market sizes and financial returns before they can enter a market get paralyzed or make serious mistakes when faced with disruptive technologies” Clayton M Christensen – The Innovator’s Dilemma. The excerpt above sums up what I believe may be happening in the system integration space with regards Industrial IoT (IIoT) implementation and will be the subject that I seek to address in this post.

An IoT system integrator is a qualified business that offers companies consulting services, training and solutions to setup and maintain all aspects of IoT (Internet of Things), from hardware to software. There are a lot of system integrators who are IIoT savvy, but most are filled with skepticism and they still see it as a hype. So they eagerly wait on the side-lines for the wave to pass or to adopt the technology next year or the year after when the hype has died down. Another reason could be that they do not yet fully comprehend the opportunities afforded by IIoT. Whatever reason they may have for dragging their feet, the reality is that those who fail to act quickly will be forced to share the plant floor with new competition.

But here is the kicker, there is a new breed of integrators crossing over from the commercial sector. The ones that specialise in smart devices. They are willing and ready to move into manufacturing and industry in general. However, automation systems integrators are well positioned to fill the gap now more than ever, because in most businesses the acquisitions of IoT solutions has shifted from being handled by the IT department to operations. And due to an existing relationship between operations and system integrators they happen to speak the same language and it will therefore be easy for systems integrators to liaise with IIoT vendors and quickly step in to fill the void. Consequently, with investment in the knowledge of embedded systems, wireless applications, front-end and back-end solutions they can provide an entire chain on IIoT and in turn offer efficient systems to the user. Creating a win win situation.

Nowadays, almost all automation devices are being shipped IP and cloud ready. The challenge though, as i have personally experienced, is that IIoT vendors are still emphasising on locking in market share. Making it difficult to aggregate all the information from different sensors and devices onto a single platform as opposed to using separate cloud components for each device or sensor. But then again this also presents itself as an opportunity for the IIoT savvy system integrator to act as a differentiator by providing solutions that make it easy to move data between systems, unlocking all the value for their customers.

The idea is simple. The data that is already being used within automation systems for operation happens to contain a wealth of useful information for running the business more effectively in areas such as energy consumption, asset utilisation, supply chain management and predictive maintenance to name a few. Its not just connecting to the PLC and exchanging data, its something more. Its about the system integrators getting involved as the needed experts on big data, connectivity and cloud computing etc. Because no one, not even the vendors have as much knowledge as system integrators on the businesses these IIoT systems are being sold to.

A master systems integrator provides a single (core) user interface to monitor and manage every aspect of a facility. This gives owners a competitive edge in today's sophisticated market. Master systems integrators also install and manage the systems that make your building run.

In conclusion, Its only a matter of time before non-automation companies come down into the manufacturing space and I envisage it getting a little bit crowded. What action can be taken? System integrators need to start building their skills in applying these technologies and incorporating fresh ideas.

ASi-5 – high data bandwidth for demanding applications

Machine data, process data and diagnostic data - today, machines and systems generate huge amounts of data. But only a fraction of this data necessarily belongs in the higher-level PLC. In order to successfully implement Industry 4.0 projects, the majority of the data needs to be processed and analyzed in IT. Coordinated interaction is only possible when all devices in the cyber-physical system communicate with each other.

 

A powerful data shuttle such as ASi-5 is needed. The new ASi generation offers a high data bandwidth and short cycle times. This makes it easy to integrate the smart sensors like IO-Link that are so important for Industry 4.0.

 

Our modern ASi-5/ASi-3 gateways also play an important role. They have two independent interfaces - for OPC UA and a fieldbus - which allow the respective data to be transferred directly to IT or the control. The gateways also act as a link between field devices and higher-level IT systems, collecting valuable diagnostic data that usefully supplements the device data from the field.

 

Since more connectivity increases cyber risks, we rely on encrypted communication and authentication. Thanks to field update capability, the ASi-5/ASi-3 gateways also meet future security requirements.