Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies

Dipping your toe in the IIoT Waters Organizations with no experience or plan in place should not blindly launch an IIoT initiative. Success requires more than just planning for how to use data, and The Automation Playbook from PMMI Media Group’s Automation World magazine provides a succinct five-step plan for industrial organizations to consider. These stages require a careful assessment of current assets, resources and existing processes. Here are five issues industrial organizations should consider before making any IIoT moves: 1. Legacy equipment: Take inventory of automation devices such as PLCs, RTUs, robots and drives. How old are they? Do they need to be replaced or upgraded? Is legacy equipment able to communicate with newer hardware? How much time and money will this take? What cost-effective solutions can address current infrastructure? 2. Protocols/communications: Along with the equipment, what protocols are being used by network devices? How many are in use? Do machines need conversion to communicate with other machines? What type of media (cabling) is in use? 3. Location/environment: If equipment is in a remote location, can devices be monitored via cellular networks? Are 3G or 4G/LTE networks available? If not, are broadband or fiber-based networks available? Also, within the building itself, what is the overall environment? Is it hot and dusty or kept at Senior Director, Sean Riley