automation world’s

field guide to iiot

implementation
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CONTENTS
3 Five factors to consider before launching an IIoT initiative

5 Six steps to success with the IIoT visible factory

9 Three essential changes to the IT/OT Dynamic

11 10 guidelines for using HTTP and MQTT protocols

14 Seven steps to applying APIs to implement the IIoT

17 Five benefits of using Node-RED for your IIoT project

19 Four ways virtualization can benefit OT

21 Four cornerstones of your IIoT plan

24 Top 10 benefits of IoT enabled mechatronics

28 Local data storage key to unlocking Internet of Things potential

30 The Internet of Things in reverse

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Five factors to consider before launching

an IIoT initiative
The industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) promises big benefits like How many are in use? Do they need to be converted in
increased productivity, better quality products, and reduced order to get the devices to communicate with others in your
cost of operations. Organizations should not blindly launch an environment? What type of media (cabling) are you using in your
IIoT initiative, however. Success requires more than just planning locations? Fiber-optic cable? Serial (RS-232/422/485)? Copper?
for how to use data. It requires a careful assessment of current
assets, resources, and processes in place. 3. Location/environment: Where is your facility located?
If your equipment is in a remote location, can your devices be
Here are five issues industrial organizations should consider monitored via cellular networks? Are 3G or 4G/LTE networks
before making any moves: available to reach your site? If not, are broadband or fiber-based
networks available? Also, within the building itself, what is the
1. Legacy equipment: Take inventory of automation devices overall environment? Is it hot and dusty or kept at a controlled
such as PLCs, RTUs, robots and drives. How old are they? Do they temperature? Is there lots of vibration? Are you using industrial-
need to be replaced or upgraded? Is your legacy equipment grade equipment that is designed with wide environmental
going to be able to communicate with newer equipment? ratings and industry certifications?
How much time and money will this take? What cost-effective
solutions can address your current infrastructure? 4. Security: According to a recent Business Insider Intelligence
survey, 39 percent of executive respondents indicated that
2. Protocols/communications: Along with the equipment, privacy and security are the most significant barriers to IoT
what protocols are being used by the devices in your network? investment. Security was the most commonly cited concern

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Five factors to consider before launching an IIoT initiative

among respondents. Though this survey applies to all items in

IoT, security should be an important concern for IIoT as well.
How can sensitive data be protected when it is collected and
transferred? What security measures are in place for the systems
that collect, monitor, process and store IIoT data? Are there any
regulations regarding the protection of data and information
that you need to be aware of?

5. Staff: As more technology-based devices are added to

your network, do you have IT staff on hand, as well as other
employees who are tech savvy and can help with installation
and monitoring on the factory floor? Is software or remote
monitoring needed to keep tabs on devices in other locations? n

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Six steps to success with the IIoT visible factory

When it comes to energy visibility and energy management, usage. Once you’ve started collecting power monitoring data,
how you do it is just as important as what you do. It’s not enough over time you’ll be able to determine exactly what it costs in real
to make the commitment and install the sensors and meters. time to turn on a motor, run a process, or have the building air
Logging all the data to a central repository won’t deliver the conditioning set to 78 degrees.
results you seek. You have to have a concrete goal and a strategy
for achieving it. Follow these tips to set yourself and your Or perhaps you want a daily report emailed to you showing
organization on the road to success. production count, raw material inventory, and average
production time. All of this data can be captured through IIoT
1.Target a problem. The process doesn’t start with the data, technology and brought right to your mobile device.
it starts with a pain point. What are the issues you’re trying
to address, whether that’s excess utility spending, repeated 2. Go deep. If the first step is to start small in terms of defining
downtime, or inconsistent performance among facilities? Don’t the scope of the issue, the second step is to go large, in terms
try to cover everything. Don’t capture massive amounts of data of gathering granular enough data around that single issue to
just because you can. Start with a problem on a manageable provide meaningful input. In the case of energy management,
scale, preferably in one location. Determine exactly what you reviewing a utility bill once a month or once a quarter does not
need to solve the problem. Most important, have a strategy provide insight. Monitoring needs to take place on the order of
for how you plan to use the data before you ever think about days, shifts, or even hours.
actually acquiring it.
Look for opportunities to collect data at an asset or “thing” level.
For example, you could connect a power-monitoring device For example, is there a sensor you could install to more closely
to your plant’s main power feed and start monitoring power monitor and log your process? The cost of sensors has come

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Six steps to success with the IIoT visible factory

down substantially, allowing increased visibility into all aspects 3. Centralize and analyze. Identify a way to aggregate the
of automation. data into a central repository. This might require some type of IoT
gateway or protocol converter as well as a database to house the
Walk around your facility, talk to your operators, and identify information Once you’ve centralized the data, you can analyze
laborious manual processes such as pen-and-paper or Excel opportunities to optimize processes. For example, develop
spreadsheet data entry tasks. Identify potentially useful data that a report to cross analyze your newly found sensor data with
is currently siloed and unavailable to other systems and business production output. Do certain variables in the process relate to a
decision-makers. Good examples might be environmental data, higher or lower yield?
production data, or data related to your batch process.
4. Make the data easily accessible. Traditional energy
To be useful, data acquisition should go beyond simply tracking audits provide useful information but they are just a snapshot
a quantity over time. Factors can be analyzed geographically: in time. They define how the system is acting now but not how
country to country, state to state, facility to facility, environment it will be in the future. They’re not very useful for monitoring
to environment. It can also take place on an equipment level: equipment to perform predictive maintenance, for example. For
facility to facility, line to line, machine to machine, and even axis machine health monitoring, you need visualization and analysis
to axis. Human factors provide another avenue to insight: facility software that can serve up data on a near-real-time basis. It
to facility, shift to shift, operator to operator. This last enables should be accessible simultaneously to staff throughout your
analysis to identify best practices and also staffers who may need organization, not just those behind desks on the top floor after
more comprehensive training. overnight off-line batch processing.

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Six steps to success with the IIoT visible factory

Look for visualization and analysis software with fast-start equipment itself to reduce energy consumption throughout the
tools that enable users to access preconfigured data plots and facility.
reports, and assemble dashboards. It should also allow them to
apply filters and customize cross correlation so that individuals 6. Turn to the experts. Developing the kind of factory
with different job roles can leverage the results to meet their visibility discussed above delivers huge benefits but it’s not a
objectives. Web-based applications make fresh data available to trivial task. Thanks to purpose-built applications, you no longer
staff on the production floor, managers in offices, and to anyone need a team of developers and software architects to get
off site over portable devices. things running. What you may need, though, is an experienced
integrator who can guide you through the process and get you
5. Look beyond monitoring and analysis. After gathering to the point of realizing value as rapidly as possible. Alternatively,
the data and converting it to actionable information, your work with your vendors. Tap their expertise as you work on
next objective should be to establish procedures to apply the your system. You can also take advantage of cloud services that
information. This can be as simple as sending an alert when deliver visibility without the headaches. Today’s connectivity
the levels exceed preset thresholds. The system can deliver it tools protect even the most sensitive data and systems from
in the form of an alarm on the control panel or HMI, a message outside incursions.
to the maintenance staff, or an email to the facilities manager.
A more sophisticated and effective approach is to automate In a complex global marketplace marked by fierce compe-
the system so that when it reaches the trigger point, the tition, you need every possible competitive advantage you
controller recognizes a problem and initiates corrective action can get. Energy monitoring, analysis, and management offer
independent of human intervention. The ultimate goal is for the opportunities to cut waste and realize substantial savings.

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Six steps to success with the IIoT visible factory

By following these simple tips, you can be well on your way

to realizing value and return on investment in as little as six
months. n

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Three essential changes to the IT/OT Dynamic

Sourced from materials provided by Belden Global Industrial
Industrial Internet of Things: Changing the IT/OT Dynamic
JOHN HEROLD Vice president, Belden Global Industrial Marketing

Success in the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) requires more 2. Secure the network. With a connected world comes
than just sensors and cabling. In order for manufacturers to increased vulnerabilities and risks. One compromised system in a
accrue benefit while maintaining safe and secure operations, the network of devices can act as a catalyst for widespread infection,
information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) ultimately threatening an entire company’s infrastructure. IT
departments will need to work together effectively. Here are the and OT need to combine forces to effectively maintain network
three main areas that need to be addressed: availability, confidentiality, and integrity. They can also work
together to implement processes that prevent both deliberate
1. Work as one team. Different departments have different attacks and unintentional errors.
priorities. OT professionals typically focus on keeping production
running to avoid the costs of downtime, while IT workers hone Recommended security measures include use of:
in on protecting data integrity. Despite these distinct roles, it’s
important to look at manufacturing holistically and combine • E ncryption to ensure data confidentiality and prevent
forces to create an open dialogue between departments. Finding unauthorized data interception when running on public
ways for both departments to work together will help businesses networks.
take advantage of their combined strengths and meet business
goals. • A ccess control to ensure that only devices allowed to
communicate with one another can do so, and to prevent
unauthorized access to the network during operation.

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Three essential changes to the IT/OT Dynamic

• A uthentication to block devices and users without explicit

access to the network.

• Zones to separate critical sections from non-critical sections of

the system and avoid the spread of network infections.

3. Align network infrastructure. All devices that can be part

of an IIoT initiative need a powerful network connection. This
creates a huge demand for consistent and unified communication
over an Ethernet network. The network containing these devices
should be hierarchical to simplify network management and
operation. At the field level, communication areas should be
divided into effectively manageable units, such as machine,
production, and any other logical or physical unit. In any IIoT
initiative, the amount of data generated and collected will be
significantly higher than ever before, introducing a challenge
for IT and OT professionals. Both teams will be required to work
together to connect devices in a simple, cost-efficient manner
while also meeting the demanding performance and reliability
requirements of the specific application. n

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10 guidelines for using HTTP and MQTT protocols

Sourced from materials supplied by Kepware Technologies
Protocols to Watch ARON SEMLE R&D lead, Kepware Technologies

The process of harvesting value from an IIoT project begins an application to a device, like a supervisory control and data
with exchanging data between nodes on the network. Multiple acquisition (SCADA) system polling a flow computer for flow-rate
protocols exist to accomplish this step. Two of the most common data.
are hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) and Message Queuing
Telemetry Transport (MQTT). HTTP is a client-server protocol used 2. Choose HTTP for flexibility. HTTP provides a transport,
to enable clients to request data from a server and for the server but doesn’t define the presentation of the data. As such, HTTP
to satisfy those requests. MQTT is a publish/subscribe protocol requests can contain HTML, JavaScript, JavaScript Object Notation
designed for SCADA and remote networks. Developed in 1998 for (JSON), XML, and so forth. In most cases, IoT is standardizing
a Phillips 66 pipeline project, MQTT is a bi-directional, lightweight around JSON over HTTP. JSON is similar to XML—without all the
event- and message-oriented transport that allows devices to overhead and schema validation—making it more lightweight
communicate efficiently across constrained networks to backend and flexible. JSON is also supported by most tools and
systems. programming languages.

Many IoT platforms support HTTP and MQTT as their first two 3. Understand the strengths of MQTT. Like HTTP, MQTT’s
inbound protocols for data. Here, we present key points to payload is application-specific, and most implementations use a
consider when choosing and implementing a protocol. custom JSON or binary format. MQTT isn’t as widely used as HTTP,
but it still has a large market share in IT. There are many open
1. Use HTTP to gather data in limited amounts. HTTP source clients/producers, brokers, projects and examples in every
can be effective for poll-response uses that involve connecting language.

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10 guidelines for using HTTP and MQTT protocols

4. Know the sweet spots. Use HTTP for sending chunks of device transmit all its data to an MQTT server on a constant, real-
data, like one-minute temperature readings every hour. Don’t use time basis. Then you connect your applications—as many as you
HTTP for streaming high-velocity data. HTTP can do sub-second want—to the MQTT server. You can access whatever data you
data, but 100-ms updates over HTTP are difficult. It has a lot of need from the device without connecting directly to the device
overhead per message, so streaming small messages is inefficient. itself, thereby avoiding any effect on its operation.

Use MQTT when bandwidth is at a premium and you don’t know 6. Get in a state. Unlike HTTP, which is stateless, MQTT
your infrastructure. It focuses on minimal overhead (2- byte has state. That makes it well-suited for use in a control system
header) and reliable communications. It’s also very simple. environment.

5. Avoid polling problems with MQTT. That flow computer 7. Keep it protected. Always secure HTTP communications
doesn’t just generate flow rate data. Other information from using HTTPS.
that device such as end-of-batch tickets, audit trails, orifice-
plate calibration coefficients might be useful from a SCADA or 8. Build your infrastructure. If you are using MQTT, make
manufacturing execution systems (MES) standpoint. Because sure you or your vendor have an MQTT broker you can publish
operations is already polling that device for the flow rate data, data to—and always secure communication via Transport Layer
however, adding more polls will not only be complex, it will also Security (TLS).
upset the plant-floor polling cycle.
9. Be aware of interoperability issues. Just because two
MQTT helps prevent polling problems by having the plant floor products support HTTP/REST/JSON doesn’t mean they’ll work

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10 guidelines for using HTTP and MQTT protocols

together out of the box. Often the JSON formats are different and
require minimal integration to get things working. Similarly, just
because two applications support MQTT doesn’t mean they are
interoperable.

10. Leverage open-source tools. Does the end application

not support MQTT? If so, there are a lot of open source tools for
getting MQTT data into databases and other formats like HTTP.

As with most things in engineering, there is no one best solution.

Consider the features of the two protocols and weigh them
against the needs of your application. Don’t forget to take into
account the skill sets of your staff and your levels of vendor
support. You will need to build a system that will serve your needs
over the long term. n

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Seven steps to applying APIs to implement the IIoT

Sourced from materials supplied by Opto 22 REST APIs Unlock the IIoT
MATT NEWTON Director of technical marketing, Opto 22

For all of the excitement surrounding factory visualization 1. Get off the bus. Traditional industrial system architecture
and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT), there remains the is built around a bus topology. Assets are connected to the bus
central challenge: getting the data from the devices to the and speak the same protocol. The problem with leveraging this
various computing systems and applications that can convert architecture in IIoT applications is that systems that are not a
bits and bytes into actionable information. The problem is that part of the bus and do not understand the bus protocol cannot
while capturing the data from assets can be easy, getting it to leverage the data and resources available on the bus. But for the
the applications in an efficient and secure fashion can be both IIoT to be viable, IIoT hardware and software assets must connect
complicated and challenging. Although number of methods and start talking to each other.
exist to port over data, including gateway PCs and purpose-built
middleware, the cost and complexity have discouraged some 2. Follow the rules. An application programming interface
manufacturing organizations from participating. RESTful APIs (API) is a set of rules for interacting with a software program,
provide an alternative approach. frequently web-based. Google Maps is a good example. The
company doesn’t just have the mapping function, they have a
RESTful APIs are designed to bridge the communication Google Maps API that provides a structure for how an application
disconnect between the physical electrical signals industrial assets should request a map. Instead of building their own mapping
use and the digital systems of the Internet. They can significantly application, developers simply use the API to call the mapping
reduce, if not eliminate the need for gateways and middleware. function. By combining APIs, developers can put applications
together much more quickly than writing from scratch.

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Seven steps to applying APIs to implement the IIoT

3. Get your REST. APIs are designed using a common motors, pumps, relays and control systems to the digital world
architecture called the representational state transfer (REST). and communicate directly to the cloud—no middleware, protocol
The REST architecture defines a set of constraints—like routines, conversion, or edge gateways required. RESTful APIs are used all
protocols and tools—that API developers build their APIs against across the Internet today. They’re the technology that stitches the
to ensure interoperability with other APIs. IIoT together.

RESTful APIs operate like the client/server architecture of websites. 5. Put APIs on the edge. RESTful APIs can be added to smart
A client like a web browser makes an HTTP/S request to a website edge devices like programmable automation controllers (PACs),
for a webpage on an HTTP/S server. Then the server responds with enabling them to securely access legacy physical assets, while
the correct data payload and formatting information to display the minimizing the integration time and cost associated with IIoT
webpage correctly. application development by eliminating the need for protocol
converters, gateways and middleware.
4. Start talking. RESTful APIs offer a standard form of sharing
data and resources between IIoT devices and IIoT software. 6. IIoT the easy way. Today, thousands of APIs exist, including
Ethernet and TCP/IP were the first step toward the IIoT. RESTful a number aimed at simplifying the implementation of the IIoT for
APIs are the next step in moving up the OT/IT technology industrial automation. Look for APIs for predictive maintenance,
convergence stack. RESTful APIs are the tools that allow OT and gathering sensor data, and programming and monitoring devices.
IT engineers to connect real-world physical assets like sensors, As an example, a predictive maintenance application (a client)

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Seven steps to applying APIs to implement the IIoT

could open a secure HTTPS connection to a programmable 7. Build the apps you need. The RESTful API approach enables
automation controller, or PAC (the server) on the factory floor, developers to use the tools of their choice—any JSON-compatible
requesting motor runtime data. Because of a well-documented language and any system—to develop software applications
RESTful API, the client knows exactly how to connect to the PAC, for manufacturing, asset utilization, predictive maintenance,
obtain a list of available data resources, and read and write the reporting, and more. OEMs and machine builders no longer need
values of those resources. The PAC’s HTTPS server would respond to worry about drivers, converters or licenses to connect their
back to the predictive maintenance application with the motor’s machines to IT systems. RESTful APIs make all of these legacy tools
run time in JavaScript object notation (JSON) data format. for converting real-world machine data into the format IT systems
JSON is important in IIoT system architecture because it uses a understand are a thing of the past.” n
lightweight, key-value pair data interchange format that almost
any software language can consume.

Another example involves using RESTful APIs directly within

database applications. Microsoft’s SQL Server 2016 has built-in
support for storing, managing and parsing JSON data. By using
Transact SQL, developers can directly query PACs through the
RESTful API and parse the resulting JSON into database tables—
no middleware, OPC, ODBC or other software application required.

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Five benefits of using Node-RED for your IIoT project

With the growing interest in factory visualization, big data, and developing a solution, rather than building the components
and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), forward-looking of an application from scratch.
organizations are exploring ways to harvest insights from the
data flying around the plant floor. The question is how to do it 3. It’s designed for ease-of-use. The integrated
quickly, flexibly, and without hiring a small army of developers. development environment (IDE) is drag-and-drop, point-and-
Enter Node-RED, an open-source tool that makes the software click, and fill-in-the-blanks. You can create many applications
aspect of connecting devices on the network as easy as dragging without a single line of code. There are options to develop
and dropping. Let’s take a closer look at why you should more complex applications by incorporating JavaScript in
investigate Node-RED for your next project: function blocks, but it’s not required for most data processing
applications.
1. It’s a graphical tool designed for ease of use. Node-
RED is a browser-based graphical flow editor that provides a 4. You can take advantage of prewritten nodes. Users
visual tool for easily linking legacy physical assets like controllers can leverage a library of more than 700 prebuilt nodes and
to cloud services. sample node flows available for generating dashboards, moving
data between databases, and pushing data to the cloud. It’s all
2. You don’t need a lot of programming experience. available on the nodered.org website.
The Node-RED development environment offers a gradual
and easily approachable learning curve for users of all levels 5. It makes your data actionable.
and requires few to no programming skills. Through a visual,
a) An automotive manufacturing engineer could use Node-RED
browser-based, drag-and-drop interface, Node-RED allows IIoT
to pull real-time production statistics or process status data
application developers to focus on identifying an opportunity

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Five benefits of using Noe-RED for your IIoT

directly from a PAC, log it into a local SQL database, push it up to

the cloud for storage and further analysis, and then present the
data to a web-based dashboard so that operators on the plant
floor and on the management team can see what’s happening in
real time.

b) An oil and gas company could provide its field engineers with
a mobile interface so they can view historical statistics on oil well
output and trend that data based on current well output.

c) In the food and beverage industry, an application could be

built to monitor various batch levels, share the level data with
external sources through APIs, and coordinate raw material
deliveries to increase productivity and ensure use of the freshest
n
materials.

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Four ways virtualization can benefit OT

For many years, corporate IT and manufacturing IT, commonly developed for older operating systems (OSs). If hardware needs
referred to as operations technology (OT), were separate to be replaced, that can be a problem if the software vendor has
with different hardware, software, networking protocols, and, decided against upgrading the application to run on Windows 10
frequently, different staff. Today, IT and OT have begun to instead of Windows 95, for example. In the past, the only solution
converge. Though day-to-day activities on corporate IT and was to swap out hardware and software. Virtualization makes it
manufacturing OT networks remain largely specific to their possible for plants to modernize their control systems hardware
unique tasks, the intertwining of these networks is bringing while continuing to run older control systems on outdated, but
about an overlap of technology practices—the most prevalent of still stable, OSs. This is done by creating a virtual machine to run
which is virtualization. the older OS within a server that is running an up-to-date OS
that is properly patched for security.
Virtualization software enables a single server to be partitioned
into multiple distinct virtual machines, each provisioned 2. Virtualization supports flexibility. An added level of
with its own processing power and memory. This allows IT to flexibility enabled by virtualization is known as Software Defined
concentrate on protecting and maintaining a single physical Networking (SDN). This involves using open protocols, like
server while end-users experience the computing process as OpenFlow, to apply globally aware software control at the edges
though they were working on their own machines. of the network. This allows for access to network devices that use
closed or proprietary software or firmware. Using SDN on this
1. Virtualization supports multiple operating systems. kind of network, you can avoid having to do a rip-and-replace by
Whereas systems in an IT environment get replaced every building an overlay network in which an SDN-enabled controller
few years, the control systems for machines are built to last a controls legacy devices in your infrastructure through existing,
decade or more. As a result, plant-floor software may have been standardized protocols like the simple network management

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Four ways virtualization can benefit OT

protocol (SNMP) or border gateway protocol (BGP). There is open

software available to do this under the Apache license.

3. Virtualization is secure. Virtualized devices become

components on the network that are within the network
administrator’s ability to protect from outside-the-network
penetration or unauthorized use from inside the network. Good
virtualization software establishes secure virtual machines that
cannot be accessed from other machines on the server.

4. Virtualization saves to the cloud. From the insurance

angle, virtualization protects against loss of data and IP by
backing up to the cloud. Such virtual backups can be used in the
case of disaster recovery to bring a plant back online as soon as
new hardware is installed and the I/O is connected. n

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Four cornerstones of your IIoT plan

The concepts surrounding the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) This is a major area of consideration for the oil and gas industry
are shaping up to be central to the future of manufacturing. To in particular. Some companies operate thousands of wellheads
help you on your journey, this article outlines four key pieces to in high-density zones, but cannot justify pulling less-dense oil
consider as you prepare to get underway. resource zones together to existing pipeline infrastructures.
Using serial-to-wireless conversion technologies for both cellular
The Industrial Internet of Things is a very broad topic— and Wi-Fi, companies can manage and operate numerous
encompassing everything from sensors to networks to wellheads spread kilometers apart from one another with far
machinery. At the core of it all, however, are the communications, less infrastructure and procurement cost. Furthermore, this
systems and processes connecting machines to each other, as conversion to open-standard wireless technology allows for
well as to people and larger corporate systems. future mobile scalability and satellite expansion.

1. Connectivity. Among the challenges faced by today’s Manageability of these systems becomes increasingly important
industrial companies is how to take advantage of emerging as well. As ever-greater numbers of devices are connected to
technological innovation while still protecting the sizable the network, you must ensure that the devices are manageable
investments already made in existing systems. Legacy in order to guarantee that future policies, system upgrades and
technology cannot simply be abandoned, nor can companies other advances can be deployed and their benefits realized.
undertake the cost of its wholesale replacement. Given that
the typical lifecycle for industrial things exceeds 20 years, the 2. Security. In a world in which security breaches have become
connecting of legacy infrastructures with new things must be all too common, it is increasingly crucial that you ensure the
streamlined so all parts can securely and reliably interoperate protection of your manufacturing plants. The consequences of
across the enterprise. failure could be profound and far-reaching.

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Four cornerstones of your IIoT plan

Achieving that security starts with ensuring the integrity of through common frameworks based on truly open industry
data, and that means safeguarding the transmission of data as standards. This is not only about the infrastructure, but the
it travels from decentralized locations through new devices and platforms as well.
legacy equipment, across internal networks, and to and from the
Cloud and/or data center. Organizations like the Open Interconnect Consortium (OIC) and
Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) have been established to
Both hardware and software security and services must be work toward this goal. For example, the OIC seeks to define a
integrated. This is the first step in successfully converting data common communications framework based on industry standard
into greater productivity and efficiency, new business solutions technologies. This would enable companies to wirelessly connect
and services, and faster time to market. and intelligently manage the flow of information between
personal computing and emerging IIoT devices, regardless of form
Accessing secure data is, however, just the beginning. As IIoT factor, operating system or service provider.
accelerates, our challenge shifts to unlocking the value hidden
inside the data. That requires analysis, turning the information 4. Flexibility. If you feel that you’re behind on embracing the
extracted from the data into actionable insight your business IIoT, you may be in a hurry to start implementing new systems. But
can use. To do that, you need the right hardware/software it’s important to stop and consider the flexibility of prospective
infrastructure able to access, analyze, share and store your data. systems so that you can evolve with changing technologies.

3. Interoperability and standards. Secure, reliable The traditional design and augmentation of industrial systems
interconnections and shared information can only be achieved has long been characterized by either (1) designing a proprietary

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Four cornerstones of your IIoT plan

or custom end-to-end solution or (2) adding functionality by

repeatedly tacking on vendor-defined black boxes. While the
latter can be quick to implement, it becomes an expensive and
cumbersome option when it must continually be replaced every
few years.

Developing and deploying the systems that will make up IIoT

represents a massive investment for decades to come. The only
way to meet the needs of today and tomorrow is not by predicting
the future but by deploying a network of systems flexible enough
to evolve and adapt. The way forward involves a platform-based
approach; a single flexible hardware architecture deployed across
many applications removes a substantial amount of the hardware
complexity and makes each new problem primarily a software
challenge. The same principle must be applied to software tools to
form a powerful hardware-software platform that creates a unified
solution.

An effective platform-based approach will help keep the focus

on innovation and allow for evolution as technology improves. n

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Top 10 benefits of IoT enabled mechatronics

Integrating Internet Connected Smart Robot Modules
Adapted from material supplied from PBC Linear’s Mark Huebner

Internet connected “smart” technology has become intertwined

with almost every aspect of our daily life. The smart phone we
all carry keeps us connected to people, and lets us automate
notifications or responses based on our personal preferences.
Automobiles are being outfitted with increasing capabilities to
automatically adjust, producing higher fuel efficiency and increased
safety based on driving habits and surrounding conditions. The
smart house is constructed to be programmed for tighter security,
maximized electrical efficiency in lighting and HVAC, and greater
comfort driven by an array of ergonomic sensors.

These kinds of advances in connectivity, control, and automation

are found throughout industrial applications, and now are
making their way into motion applications. The results of
this type of internet-enabled machine provide a new level of
flexibility, performance, and cost advantages.

The old way of addressing machine integration and motion

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Top 10 benefits of IoT enabled mechatronics

control focused on basic engineering disciplines … mechanical mechanical and electrical with optimized motion elements and
and electrical … and each dedicated engineering group did their smart stepper or step-servo closed loop motor technology with
work independently. In the end, somehow the two had to be integrated controls. These can easily be applied to single axis,
brought together and made to operate. This would most often multiple axis, or XYZ Cartesian configurations.
result in a functioning, but far from optimized machine that was
cumbersome to build, wire, connect, and difficult to monitor, Here are the top 10 advantages machine builders and users gain
change, or adjust. when combining these enhanced mechanical components with
advances in smart motor technology and control strategies.
In the old paradigm specifically, mechanical engineering would
work on the physical motion created. Things like the bearings, Top 10 Benefits of Internet Enabled Mechatronics
rails, lead screw, belt, or other drive mechanism, and how to
connect to a motor. Electrical engineering would select the 1. Lower Cost & Enhanced Functionality. The bottom line
sensors, attach the I/O, driver, PLC, controller, amplifier, and is that each of these items has a positive impact on your financial
power supply. The motor would fall somewhere in between, bottom line. Less wiring and connectors, fewer components and
most often with the electricians because it had to be connected sensors, less labor invested, reduced time spent in setup and
to power and controlled. maintenance, and maximized operational uptime all add up to
a cost savings that is substantial in the overall cost of ownership
A new model has emerged that simplifies the machine design and operation.
and build process while easily enabling internet integration
with the use of “smart robot modules”. It is the marriage of

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Top 10 benefits of IoT enabled mechatronics

2. Less space. Due to the driver, controller, and

amplifier being built into the smart motor, the panel
space required for those things can be eliminated
resulting in savings of material, time, labor, and
overall cost.

3. Simplified wiring. Along with the elimination

of the driver, controller, and amplifier, fewer
sensors are required, especially when an encoder Manually adjusted slides can be upgraded with smart stepper or step-servo motors to take
is used. All this results in fewer input/output advantage of recipe driven setup speed and flexibility.
connections and less complicated wiring schemes.
up the installation team to work on multiple axes simultaneously,
4. Reduced troubleshooting. With fewer components, less and report progress via internet connectivity. It also allows an
wire connections, and increased performance, the job of tracing operator to make in process adjustments at an individual axis
down any problems that may arise is greatly reduced. without affecting the PLC or entire production line.

5. Streamlined commissioning. Machine installation and 6. Modular integration. Standardized smart robot modules
startup is made easier with pre-programmed homing routines, make integration into multiple axes, or multiple machines a
and with the ability to make changes at an individual axis without natural and easy process.
working through the PLC. This distributed control model frees

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Top 10 benefits of IoT enabled mechatronics

7. Automated adjustment. Rather than a time consuming 10. Increased output. All of these things are working together
manual change over, switching a packaging or assembly line to a in a IoT connected motion system driving greater flexibility, less
different size or part can become automated and “recipe driven,” downtime, increased performance, and greater bottom line
increasing manufacturing flexibility and speed. In addition, output for manufacturers, assembly lines, packaging equipment,
adaptive control is possible with conditions monitored and and production equipment.
adjustments made locally, in real time, and right at the actuator
level, without having to route instructions through the PLC. With today’s integration of IoT processes and equipment,
traditional disciplines are merging, and the benefits are seen
8. Maximized uptime. Real time monitoring of temperatures, throughout the life cycle of a machine. The design phase
friction, motor torque, and other performance related data is shortened with cross discipline communication, design
can be routed to a mobile device allowing the human decision development and project management tools. Procurement and
maker to proactively handle issues related to maximizing build cycles are shortened due to the need for fewer components
machine uptime. along with the use of online configuration and purchasing tools.
With IoT connected programming and real time analytics, ease of
9. Preventative Maintenance. Established timeframes for use, maintenance, and overall life are increased for the user. All of
periodic maintenance based on cycles, number of pieces run, or these things combine adding to the bottom line, creating more
other dynamic conditions can easily be monitored and reported opportunity, and increasing financial returns. n
to any IoT connected device, such as a work station, tablet, or
mobile phone, allowing teams to proactively keep equipment
running at peak efficiency.

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Local data storage key to unlocking Internet

of Things potential
By Tony Paine, CEO, Kepware Technologies

Why the added distance and complexity of your plant networking But before you start wondering about how to tackle all that
architecture introduces potential points of failure or data loss, data, it’s important to first understand how the extension of
which can limit the ultimate value of the Internet of Things. Industrial IoT beyond building automation, Wi-Fi and central
data stores is raising bandwidth and connectivity challenges for
The Internet of Things (IoT) is approaching a tipping point. The telemetry systems. Remote device communications typically
IoT market is projected to grow from $33 billion in 2013 to $71 leverage a mixture of wireless, radio, fiber optic, satellite and
billion in 2018, according to Juniper Research. Cisco predicts telephone services. Bandwidth constraints of these different
that some 25 billion devices will be connected by 2015, and 50 technologies have the potential to significantly degrade the data
billion by 2020. IoT will enable smarter automation that allows being communicated through them. Other factors like physical
“things” to share information, learn about their surroundings, obstructions, weather and environmental elements can also
and auto-tune themselves to achieve optimum throughput and result in a loss of connectivity and therefore data.
minimal downtime.
Industry also faces a major challenge associated with prioritizing
With everything from thermostats to pipelines connected and the storage and communications of collected data. After all,
communicating, the question most people fixate on is: How not every device produces enough data or high-priority data to
will we be able to collect and capitalize on the resulting mass of warrant constant live streaming to central storage. Therefore, it is
machine data? essential to preserve data at the point of collection. This protects
against loss of data in the event that connectivity is lost. It also

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Local data storage key to unlocking Internet of Things potential

ensures that potentially lower priority machine data can still be or performing basic data mining in the field related to operations.
compiled and communicated as packages over time.
Though local historians will prove important to IoT success,
Data collected at the device or sensor has an increasing distance, they will still need to feed up to centralized or enterprise data
number of paths, and elements to traverse before it makes its repositories for long-term storage and more in-depth analysis.
way to enterprise storage for deep analysis. With added distance Not surprisingly, we are seeing these repositories migrating to the
to travel and complexity of architecture come more potential cloud for flexibility and the ability to provide additional bandwidth
points of failure or data loss, potentially limiting the ultimate as needed. The power of cloud computing will make the required
value of the IoT. With these considerations in mind, it becomes storage and processing power available to handle the zettabytes
easy to understand why local data storage may be the key to the of data resulting from the continuous build-out of IoT systems.
successful implementation and capitalization of the IoT. A tiered
architecture is ideal to support local data collection, storage and As the IoT continues to proliferate across consumer, enterprise
communication— think of it as multiple mini-data centers. and industrial installations, we will likely see distributed data
architectures become the norm, with local historians playing a
Local historians that collect data at the point of creation provide key role in this increasingly dispersed, foundational architecture.
an economical way to support IoT data collection across a While those who insist upon a centralized architecture will likely
dispersed architecture. Ideally, a local historian can buffer non- fail or at least struggle to support and leverage the deluge of
deliverable data until a later time and support flexible delivery. connected devices, those willing to innovate and address the
challenges of a distributed architecture will be able to capitalize
It could also identify an alternate available delivery channel. Plus, on the connected world. n
local historians can be tapped on-site for troubleshooting devices
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The Internet of Things in reverse

By Michael Bowne, Director of technology marketing, PI North America

Most of the talk surrounding the Industrial Internet of Things rearranging the order of the steps in the recipe. If the responsible
focuses on moving data upward and outward. Equally important machine can be quickly reconfigured to handle this tweak, then
is enabling your factory to handle incoming data. everyone’s happy. However, if the change is arduous, the return
on investment (ROI) on such a tweak diminishes rapidly.
When it comes to your factory’s ability to handle data, there are
two use cases: process improvement and process agility. Machine flexibility includes the network to which it is connected.
Network flexibility comes in many forms. This can mean flexibility
Looking first at process improvement, after completing data in the cabling, as in the network should support any topology
collection, analysis and decision-making, the final step involves such as line, star, tree, ring and wireless. It should also support
taking action. Doing this entails taking data and feeding it back openness and web tools. This means not just creating a machine
into the manufacturing environment to improve the process. automation network, but one to which standard Ethernet
devices can also be connected. In other words: an open cable.
Since improvement means change, the question is: What This allows for access to acyclic data via the devices’ integrated
does change require? The answer: flexibility. Manufacturing web servers.
machines need to be flexible and modular so that tweaks to the
production process can be implemented easily. It should also support simple addressing. Within Profinet, logical
device names can be assigned during engineering, with the
Take, for example, a beverage maker. After analyzing some data, PLC programming the station addresses. On the flip side, if the
this company recognizes a previously unknown bottleneck PLC is taught the topology of the network, it can automatically
(no pun intended) in its process. The solution involves slightly assign the station names and addresses. This is a powerful

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The Internet of Things in reverse

feature supporting machine flexibility. And remember, process To further understand the importance of feeding data into
improvement can be achieved efficiently only if the machines the manufacturing environment, let’s look at the example of a
are modular and the network is adaptable. car manufacturer. Similar to the beverage bottler, let’s say this
manufacturer analyzes some Big Data and notices that sections
The second use case to consider involves process agility. One of his line are still consuming energy even when those sections
aspect often glossed over in discussions surrounding the are not producing anything. Though only loosely coupled to
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is the good old-fashioned the process itself, if he were able to feed that data back into the
Internet itself. As the e-commerce industry crosses the $1.5 system, he might be able to cut costs (utility bills) during those
trillion threshold, people are becoming ever more accustomed periods. With ProfiEnergy, the network enables his robots to go
to doing business online. It is a perfect example of data feeding into a sleep state similar to a laptop. When production resumes,
into a manufacturing environment. While the objectives for this that section of the line starts running again.
use case are different, the requirement is the same: flexibility.
These use case scenarios should help make it clear that IIoT is not
The oft-quoted goal of Industry 4.0 is the ability to achieve a just about getting data out of plants, but also getting data back
lot size of one—in other words, the ability to manufacture one into plants. It’s a cycle. Whether the use case is improvement,
widget with the same efficiency as manufacturing 1,000 widgets. agility or even energy efficiency, flexibility is a necessity. This
To achieve this in modular plants, PLCs need to detect new means machine modularity coupled with network adaptability. n
machines or parts as quickly as possible. With Profinet, the Fast
Start-Up function enables the identification of stations in less
than 500 ms, maximizing agility.

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