As factories generate ever more data, a question arises: where should that data be processed? Edge computing offers one answer, handling data close to where it is produced rather than sending everything to a distant central system. Understanding the idea…
A connected factory is only as good as its ability to work together as a whole. When machines and systems from different sources cannot communicate or share information, the promise of connectivity fragments into isolated islands. Interoperability, the ability of…
Electric motors are among the most important and numerous machines in any factory, and monitoring their health delivers real value. Yet most existing motors were installed without any means of reporting their condition. Retrofitting sensors onto these motors is a…
When adding sensors to connect a factory, one basic choice recurs: should the sensors be wired or wireless? Both have their place, and the right answer depends on the situation. Understanding the trade-offs helps in deciding sensibly rather than defaulting…
A factory rarely starts its digital journey with a blank slate. It already has control systems running its machines, and any effort to add connectivity and data must work alongside them. Integrating industrial IoT with existing control systems is therefore…
Much of the data a connected factory produces shares a common character: it is a sequence of measurements taken over time. This time-series data is the raw material of monitoring and analysis, and understanding its nature helps in making sense…
The old computing adage, garbage in, garbage out, applies with full force to the connected factory. No matter how sophisticated the analysis or how impressive the dashboards, conclusions drawn from poor data are poor conclusions. Data quality is the unglamorous…
One of the most practical benefits of a connected factory is the ability to see how equipment is performing without being physically present. Remote monitoring means knowing the state of machines from afar, and it changes how equipment is managed,…
Maintenance in most factories has evolved, or has the opportunity to evolve, along a path from simply fixing what breaks toward anticipating and preventing failures. Understanding this journey from reactive to predictive maintenance clarifies where a factory stands and what…
Many factories begin their digital journey with a pilot: a small, focused project to prove the value of connectivity and data. Pilots are wise, but they raise a challenge when they succeed. Scaling from a promising pilot to the whole…