The IIoT is the foundation of the next industrial revolution. It involves collecting and analyzing data from various processes, providing managers with the information they need to make real-time decisions that impact the operation of production plants. This data flow can be shared with all elements of the production chain, enabling more efficient operations, from raw material and spare parts processes, manufacturing and process control, to continuous remote on-site support.
RS offers two approaches to leveraging IIoT capabilities, neither of which involves significant expenditure or changes to the architecture of existing systems. Adaptation can be achieved by replacing traditional PLCs or by adding IoT solutions to existing infrastructures.
Paolo Carnovale, Global Category Marketing Manager A&C at RS, comments: “Industrial automation systems and IT infrastructures involve complexity and costs. When new technologies emerge, engineers can't simply discard them and start from scratch. RS is introducing a range of devices to connect legacy systems to the Internet of Things. Just because a sensor or PLC uses a serial port with a native Modbus protocol doesn't mean the data can't be translated and adapted for IoT systems.”.
From the perspective of PLC replacement, RS offers different options from leading manufacturers such as Siemens or Schneider Electric to facilitate the integration of existing systems into larger networks.
There are also systems like Opto 22's Groov, which is a web-based interface that easily connects to almost anything and can be used in two ways: as a standalone hardware device or as a Windows-compatible PC-based server. Intermediate devices can also be used to bridge legacy systems in an Ethernet environment. One example is the Brainboxes ED-204 Ethernet Media Converter, which can be used to connect PLCs to PC-based data acquisition and analysis solutions.
Ethernet-compatible sensors and devices, such as the FLIR AX8, are also gaining popularity. These devices, compliant with EtherNet/IP and Modbus TCP, can directly share alarm and analytics results with a larger automated system. Ethernet compatibility isn't essential for IoT, as demonstrated by the Calex PyroNFC infrared temperature sensor. This sensor is fully configurable via an NFC-enabled smartphone.
RS offers a wide range of solutions for connecting the "smart factory." From simple, discrete automation to plant-wide production line control, remote monitoring, and surveillance, even the most outdated solutions can be connected to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). This provides managers with the information they need to improve operations and performance—the very foundation of the fourth industrial revolution.
