Is connectivity the key to the success of Industry 4.0?

When we look at the manufacturing industry and how manufacturing companies are adapting to communications technology, we see that they are slowly cutting the cables. For the most part, they are using wired technology, and wireless technology is also evolving. But the industry as a whole is adopting wireless communications technology very cautiously. This is because they have to maintain their ongoing operations, then conduct technology trials, and then restart, which is like changing the engine of a flying airplane.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for manufacturers

We are seeing a mix of cellular, Wi-Fi, and LoRaWAN technologies entering the manufacturing space. We also cannot expect operational sites to be connected overnight. All of this adoption must be gradual, starting with understanding customer needs and obtaining detailed requirements.

Wireless is becoming the standard technology in manufacturing. Most manufacturing customers still have some wired systems, but we are actually seeing a shift toward cellular and some Wi-Fi technologies. At least on the Wi-Fi side, many customers are still on the sidelines, especially when it comes to security and how they can take advantage of it, so cellular is definitely going to become the standard.

Manufacturing companies are increasingly using sensors

Wireless technology is going to be key in manufacturing environments as manufacturers increasingly adopt sensors mounted on top of industrial equipment. Customers want to put six or seven sensors on these industrial machines to measure different things. So that's increasingly pushing them into the wireless world. So I think we're obviously still going to have Ethernet, but everything else is going to be increasingly wireless.

I think wireless technology is used primarily when businesses have pain points, such as moving parts that need to be connected. Businesses are just beginning to explore the new possibilities that can be achieved through wireless connectivity.

When manufacturers have to consider replacing core reliability-critical connections with wireless, they take a more cautious approach. Therefore, we are at the beginning of a change where stakeholders are understanding the benefits that wireless can achieve.

Wireless technology is being used by manufacturing companies in many use cases that can improve productivity in manufacturing facilities. When it can increase production, there is a reason to support new technology, which means reliability of production. So, like predictive maintenance, if you look at the drives, and watch them, and get information before they fail, then this is an acceptable situation.

One of the biggest drivers for wireless adoption in manufacturing is that a large portion of manufacturing is actually driven by OEMs. OEMs build machines that are placed at customer sites. When OEMs are looking for a solution that can be shipped as part of the machine.

They don't want to work with the customer's local wired infrastructure and have them install a router and configure it for Wi-Fi. They want a box that's already plugged into the machine. As soon as the machine is set up and powered up, the cellular router boots up and starts sending data, which then lets the customer remotely manage that asset without having to do anything.

Some use cases are gaining traction in the market, such as tracking of workers and equipment, which is critical to worker safety and efficient use of resources. In this way, manufacturing plants can save a lot of money and become more worker-friendly. We are also seeing a lot of predictive maintenance solutions entering the market using vibration sensors, image sensors running artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

Such sensors are also seeing rapid adoption due to the introduction of reliable wireless communication technology. The market is very much open for hundreds of different types of sensors. It will take a little time, but we are already seeing automation coming to manufacturing sites.