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Revolutionizing SCADA Systems with IoT Technology: Unlocking New Business Opportunities

Industrial IoT, IoT Technology / By / Leave a Comment
IoT Scada technology

What is a SCADA?

SCADA is a centrally connected system that monitors the plant processes at every point. It allows the managers to track information coming in from equipment and customize, operate, and perform other functions within an industry. It is software that gets installed on a computer, and one of its essential roles is to act as a communicable interface among industrial machines.

SCADA systems generally use when combined with PLCs and other devices, and PLCs may become a part of the SCADA system for effective operations. If SCADA and PLCs perform together, they form an automatic system to allot maintenance tasks that form the core of a predictive maintenance program. Here’s how it works:

How Scada Works

• Data from assets are transmitted to PLC via sensors
• PLC converts data into useful information for the software
• Users access data through a human-machine interface on the software
• Decisions are made by effectively examining the data

IoT

The Internet of Things has become a sensation for businesses to progress in multiple areas. It adds to the value and image of the brands with its automated functionality and advanced functioning. Using sensor devices to turn assets into automated machines/equipment is bringing a new transformation in the industries regarding profit and quality production.

The existing systems had many challenges, like inaccurate reports, mismanaged data, and more employee involvement. To meet these challenges, almost all the use cases need to be digitally enabled to see the differences that IoT technology can make for businesses. Hence, sensor-based technology is bringing a rapid transformation to clear out the unwantedness in industries and lay an organized system for quality services.

why IoT Technology ?

Why IoT Technology Important for Scada System

The main challenge for businesses now is to deal with the old and outdated versions of SCADA systems that operate manually. They consist of substantial labor costs and are incapable of providing illustrative reports where precise details mention. This is halting industrial productivity and hindering their growth in all aspects.

The Internet of Things is an advanced concept that provides businesses with the needed options, especially automation & gained productivity. Conventional SCADA systems have played an essential role in improving industrial efficiency, but IoT technology is emerging with more advanced concepts that are useful for businesses in myriad ways.

The use of IoT in different sectors is gaining force every day, and several new organizations are implementing IoT solutions to improve operability. It eliminates the day-to-day challenges in the industries with great asset cumulations and data production. Since IoT is a data-driven technology, it is very effective from the business point of view. It provides:

  •  Accurate results
  •  Data-driven approach
  •  Advanced gateway connectivity
  •  High-end software and hardware
  •  Cloud computing
  •  Automation
  •  Sensor-based processing

The Internet of Things is transforming businesses by benefiting them with technical solutions. It is thus becoming a sensation for industrialists as it utilizes the resources well and provides accurate insights, assisting in better decision-making.

 

How Can IoT Take SCADA Systems to the Next Level?

The growth and acceptance of IoT technology in businesses would redefine a smart and intelligent system that does its job automatically. The presence of IoT would complement SCADA by widening the opportunities and allowing better functioning. With the help of predictable analysis, a data-driven approach, preventative maintenance of the equipment, detailed and organized report generation, and a customizable and personalized user dashboard, IoT-enabled SCADA would reach the new heights businesses have longed for.

With the increasing number of interconnected devices and steadfast growth in connectivity, the data has also potentially increased. To handle such massive data and keep it organized in numerous ways, IoT has to come into action sooner or later. With the inclusion of the Internet of Things as a brand-new concept in industries, performing analytical tasks and automated processing would come into play to render better services. This also provides benefits to managers in simplified information sharing and improved transparency.

It has been almost 40 years since SCADA systems have helped various industries to monitor and manage processes and applications. It has further boosted operational efficiencies and reduced overall costs. But with the advancement in technologies like the advent of IoT, it can be made better along with the needed improvements in equipment efficiency. With SCADA being an end-to-end supervisory system, acquiring data through remote terminal units (RTUs) connected to sensors, IoT is also an end-to-end system that uses advanced sensors to gather data from the assets for smooth functioning. However, with the installation of IoT-powered solutions and transformational attributes of sensor devices, gateways, and user-oriented dashboards, it is high time for industrialists to switch to IoT solutions. The answer can be installed in the existing SCADA system and offers quality services to the owners.

How does a SCADA system benefit from the integration of IoT technology?

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a disruptive technology that utilizes sensors, gateways, and interactive dashboards to improve business productivity across all areas. Unlike the current industrial SCADA system, which is limited to the factory floor and only displays data from within the plant, IoT can significantly enhance data accessibility and operability for various operations in different industries. Integrating IoT technology with existing SCADA systems can equip businesses with remarkable features like scalability, interoperability, and enhanced security for overall industrial processing. Furthermore, IoT can work alongside the SCADA system, transforming the entire SCADA landscape. To get started, it’s essential to identify the right IoT platform that offers a variety of adapters and connectors to integrate with the SCADA system. Here are eight significant benefits of implementing the Internet of Things into a SCADA system.

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)

The measurement of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is a crucial metric for evaluating equipment availability, quality, and performance, whether a single machine or an entire business process. For the past 40 years, SCADA has been widely used in industries to monitor utility networks and industrial operations, providing detailed information on asset performance that enables managers to make informed decisions. However, the integration of IoT in SCADA significantly improves equipment effectiveness by applying real-time monitoring controls and advanced methods for maintenance controls like automatic data extraction, secured data transfer, and idle time collection. This utilization of IoT technology for OEE benefits production in industries and improves how managers retrieve and respond to equipment information.

Machine-to-machine Communication

The Internet of Things (IoT) focuses on machine-to-machine communication, allowing industrial equipment to interconnect via sensors, gateways, and other advanced technologies. By integrating IoT with SCADA systems, machine-to-machine communication can significantly improve, revolutionizing how industries operate. Incorporating IoT into existing SCADA systems enables managers to maintain real-time records of industrial processes more efficiently. Additionally, IoT technology offers quick accessibility through smart gadget connectivity, displaying the relevant details of the preferred device for the specific user. This facilitates efficient plant management and enables on-the-spot decision-making.

Data Acquisition

Integrating an IoT solution with a SCADA system can significantly enhance the data collection process in industries that rely on SCADA. While a SCADA system enables remote human interaction with industrial processes, IoT technology focuses on machine-to-machine communication. As SCADA systems continue to evolve, they will likely transition into IoT systems, providing a more intelligent and well-integrated platform. Therefore, one of the significant benefits of integrating IoT with SCADA is improved data acquisition, which allows for a better understanding and extraction of data. By utilizing the Internet of Things capabilities, data acquired can generate production and utility reports within an industry.

Security

In data-driven production, security is a critical aspect that requires a well-informed infrastructure to manage effectively. Traditional SCADA systems lack systematic security measures, which can be significantly improved by integrating IoT-based solutions such as remote monitoring, anomaly detection, and secured data transfer. This enables server and application protection for the entire process across the data center, reducing the risk of data breaches. Additionally, managers can keep a live track of plant functioning and relevant details through an IoT SCADA system. By utilizing an IoT SCADA system, businesses can add value by ensuring well-monitored assets, secured networks, and assessed risks for better decision-making.

Remote Management and Monitoring

Open SCADA platforms are typically compatible with most OEMs and communicate well with PLCs from any OEM, reducing the likelihood of integration issues. This allows consumers or industrialists to easily customize the entire system, making an IoT SCADA a completely custom-built SCADA system. However, due to increased data capturing, asset owners now demand the integration of predictive algorithms, optimized asset health conditions, and cost savings. Therefore, utilizing IoT solutions for industrial SCADA systems proves efficient regarding plant management and keen monitoring.

 

Scalability

Enterprises are always searching for ways to reduce excess operational costs. Manufacturing and other essential industries can utilize the scalability and flexibility features to manage their operations effectively. To implement such a system, they require technology-based solutions like IoT technology that provide a scalable platform where necessary. This technology enables the setup of a robust system for industrialists, allowing them to perform better and achieve increased revenue.

Cloud-Assistance

The cloud is a revolutionary concept that involves utilizing remote internet servers to handle large amounts of information. Previously, SCADA systems were managed on local computers, which made it challenging for managers to keep track of various processes. However, with the integration of IoT technology, it is now possible to shift the entire industrial system to the cloud and securely store all information. This enables more accessible access to critical information and simplifies significant tasks for the product handling team by displaying and storing data in real time.

Predictive Analytics 

SCADA systems have served their purpose well in the past. Still, with the growing demand for data from consumers, industrialists need to integrate IoT technology to ensure both quality and quantity in their production. Quality is a crucial aspect of business operations as it satisfies consumer demands. Therefore, IoT technology provides an ideal solution for predicting production needs and revolutionizing industries with its machine-handling capabilities and data-driven approach. It helps improve decision-making by providing detailed reports and analyses to assist managers in strategic planning. Overall, integrating IoT-based solutions into SCADA systems enables better production control and enhances the quality of products and services.

 

Conclusion:SCADA has been the best in their work areas as they brought industry improvements. Still, with the advent of IoT technology, improving the same through automation, predictive analysis, and getting a sustainable solution within the industries has become crucial.

Transforming Your Business with Industrial Remote Monitoring: A Comprehensive Overview

Industrial IoT / By / Leave a Comment
Industrial remote monitoring

Every firm needs to run more efficiently, whether to combat business costs or determine and control potential equipment failures before they happen. Industrial remote monitoring can help. With remote monitoring, your industrial operation can have visions at the most remote places without sending a person manual to those sites for every issue, large or small.

Improving operational efficiency, Cost savings, security, and process quality. These are just a few driving factors after the move to industrial remote monitoring in many industrial operations. In this blog post, we cover the different types of monitoring and how they support a more robust enterprise with better outcomes.

What is industrial remote monitoring?

Industrial remote monitoring is a system that allows real-time monitoring of industrial equipment and processes from a remote location. It uses various technologies such as sensors, data communication networks, and software applications to monitor and control industrial operations continuously.

The main goal is to improve the efficiency and productivity of industrial processes by providing real-time information on the performance of machines and equipment. By monitoring KPIs such as temperature, pressure, and flow rates, operators can identify potential issues before they become critical and take corrective actions to avoid downtime and reduce maintenance costs.

Industrial remote monitoring systems are used in various industries, including manufacturing, energy, and utilities. They can monitor anything from a single machine to an entire plant or production line. They can provide insights into energy consumption, equipment utilization, and maintenance requirements.

Overall, it offers many benefits, including increased efficiency, reduced downtime, and improved safety, making them essential tools for modern industrial operations.

Industrial remote monitoring

Types of Industrial Remote monitoring

Several industrial remote monitoring systems are designed for specific applications and environments. Here are some of the most common types:

Condition Monitoring: This remote monitoring system tracks the performance of machines and equipment in real time, identifying potential issues before they become critical. It uses various sensors, such as vibration, temperature, and pressure sensors, to monitor the condition of equipment and detect anomalies.

Energy Monitoring: It tracks energy consumption in industrial processes and identifies areas for improvement. It uses various sensors and meters to monitor energy use and identify opportunities for energy savings.

Environmental Monitoring: This monitoring system tracks ecological factors, such as temperature, humidity, and air quality, in industrial environments. It helps to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and identify potential health and safety risks for workers.

Asset Tracking: it refers to tracking the location and status of assets, such as machinery, vehicles, and tools, in real time. It helps businesses to optimize asset utilization and prevent theft or loss of valuable assets.

 

Process Monitoring:  It monitors the performance of industrial processes, such as manufacturing, production, and assembly lines, and helps to identify bottlenecks, optimize workflows, and improve overall efficiency.

Predictive Maintenance – uses machine learning algorithms and predictive analytics to forecast when Maintenance is required for equipment. It helps businesses to minimize downtime and reduce maintenance costs by performing Maintenance only when necessary.

 

Quality Control:  Tracks the quality of products as they move through the manufacturing process, using sensors and cameras to detect defects and deviations from standards. It helps businesses to improve product quality, reduce waste, and increase customer satisfaction.

Supply Chain Monitoring: observe the movement of goods and materials through the supply chain, providing real-time visibility into inventory levels, shipping times, and other critical metrics. It helps businesses to optimize their supply chain operations and improve customer service.

Remote Diagnostics:  Allows technicians to diagnose and troubleshoot equipment issues remotely, using sensors and other diagnostic tools to identify the root cause of problems. It helps businesses to reduce downtime, minimize service calls, and improve customer satisfaction.

 

Business Benefits of Industrial Remote Monitoring

Maximize ROI

Ultimately, every investment decision comes down to understanding the return. How long will it take to realize a return on investment? Is the investment going to benefit my customers? What happens if I decide not to invest? These are some of the questions businesses ask when evaluating an investment in new technology. 

As industrial enterprises consider investing in an industrial remote monitoring system, they often find multiple cost-saving and environmental benefits.

Consider how these systems can improve your ROI when deciding on an industrial remote monitoring investment.

  • Lower operating costs —  The cost of manually managing IoT devices without a system can quickly overtake the price of a remote equipment monitoring system
  • Scale without adding staff —  Whether you are short-staffed or budget-constrained, industrial remote monitoring automation can reduce the need for hiring extra staff.
  • Prove regulatory compliance to avoid fines —  Monitoring systems collect and manage data to prove your plans follow regulatory requirements.

Oversee Quality

The quality of your industrial processes directly affects your operations and output since everything from air temperature to machine health and cybersecurity can affect your strategies. If industrial processes form the core of your business, you cannot afford to compromise on quality. With industrial remote process monitoring, hardware and software work together to track production. Operators receive alerts when something changes.

Three critical capabilities of industrial remote monitoring that can benefit your business:

  • Proactively manage processes automatically — Receive alerts when monitored metrics change.
  • Identify root causes quickly — Identify quality issues before they impact production.
  • Predict breakdowns before they occur — Analyze quality data over time to predict future breakdowns.

Optimize Performance

How do you currently optimize the performance of your systems? For your operations, proactive performance monitoring can reduce downtime and lost productivity. With industrial remote monitoring, sensors connected to your machines share large volumes of real-time data. Machine operators enjoy the convenience of getting performance insights remotely from any device. Remote monitoring also helps maximize uptime while minimizing maintenance costs.

Optimizing performance through an industrial remote monitoring system means your operators can:

  • Control processes from anywhere
  • Get real-time insights into the health of your operations.
  • Use predictive maintenance alerts to schedule repairs proactively.

Ensure Safety

Your workforce is the lifeblood of your organization. Technology helps people do their jobs better, gain deeper insights, and find opportunities to add value. The most crucial role of technology in the industrial space is to ensure safety.

Industrial remote monitoring significantly improves operational safety by enabling industrial outfits to gain visibility into their systems and processes anywhere — whether those processes occur deep inside a mine, at the top of a light pole, at a remote wellhead, or in an underground water system. Whether the site presents hazards based on location, hazardous substances, or conditions, gaining insights from those systems via an IoT-based monitoring system can protect your personnel.

How Industrial Remote Monitoring Systems Ensure Safety

  • Reduces risk by automating routine maintenance tasks — Automating inspections in hazardous locations reduces injury risk
  • Free your team to address Maintenance proactively — Urgent emergency repairs can lead to injury when workers don’t have time to plan
  • Safety benefits offset the investment — Investing in monitoring systems improves worker safety is an investment in your people. 

 

Industrial Remote Monitoring Use Case Examples

Industrial remote monitoring uses hardware and software tools to manage industrial processes. These tools create efficiencies and insights not possible with manual processes. 

Water management: monitors water usage and distribution, allowing utility companies to identify and address leaks, pressure drops, and flow disruptions. By monitoring water infrastructure in real time, utility companies can reduce water waste, improve sustainability, and avoid costly infrastructure damage.

Energy monitoring :It can track energy usage in real-time, allowing organizations to identify opportunities for energy savings and reduce energy waste. By monitoring energy usage in real-time, organizations can adjust their energy consumption to optimize efficiency and reduce costs.

Asset and Inventory Monitoring :   Tracking assets and inventory remotely with IoT technology is a game changer. Asset tracking helps companies check on high-value equipment in real-time. Any industry that manages lots of gear can track inventory location and condition. In real-time, managers can gain perspectives on equipment health, asset loss, or poor operator handling.

As your organization deals with economic and talent pressures, industrial remote monitoring can help. A secure, end-to-end solution can transform your business — for your employees and customers. In this blog post, we’ve shared the excellent benefits and use cases for various types of industrial remote monitoring.

BridgeThings has over years of experience designing and implementing mission-critical connectivity. We have the expertise in wireless technologies to help companies successfully navigate industrial communications challenges.

Case Study: Wireless Solutions for Bus Bar Temperature Monitoring

Case study, Industrial IoT / By / Leave a Comment

Client

Requirement

Asian Paints is a leading paint manufacturer and supplier with a strong presence in the Indian market. The company is known for its high-quality paints and coatings and commitment to innovation and sustainability.

As part of its ongoing efforts to improve efficiency and safety in its operations, Asian Paints was looking for a solution to monitor the temperature of bus bars. The company was looking for a wireless, non-intrusive solution that could easily integrate into its existing systems.

Challenge

Several challenges are associated with manually monitoring the temperature of bus bars:

  1. Time-consuming: Manual readings of bus bar temperatures would have required engineers to physically go to each bus bar, take a reading, and then record the data. This process can be time-consuming and would have made monitoring temperatures in real-time challenging.
  2. Manual readings are subject to human error, which can lead to inaccurate data. Engineers may need help reading the temperature accurately or accidentally recording incorrect data.
  3. Engineers would have to be near the bus bars to take manual readings, which can pose a safety hazard if the bus bars operate at high temperatures.
  4. With Limited data collection, it would be challenging to identify trends or patterns in the bus bar temperatures.
  5. With manual readings, monitoring bus bar temperatures at remote locations or in different facilities would be challenging.

solution

To address this challenge, Asian Paints partnered with Bridge things to implement a wireless temperature monitoring solution. The solution was designed to address the challenge of manual reading of bus bar temperatures, which was time-consuming and error-prone. 

With the implementation of temperature monitoring solutions consisting of wireless contact temperature beacons (with a coin cell battery life of up to five years), BLE LoRaWan bridge, LoRaWan GateWay, along with IoT platform

Wireless contact temperature beacon: The wireless contact temperature beacons were attached to the bus bars and could measure the temperature in real-time. It uses Bluetooth technology to wirelessly transmit the temperature data to a nearby Bluetooth to LoRaWAN converter.

Bluetooth to LoRaWAN converter: This device receives temperature data from the sensor via Bluetooth and transmits it to a LoRaWAN gateway using the LoRaWAN protocol. It is designed to receive temperature data from up to 10 sensor beacons and transfer it to LoRaWAN gateways. 

The LoRaWan converter is essential in a temperature monitoring system, as it allows users to access and track temperature data from multiple sensor beacons remotely. Its Bluetooth and LoRaWAN capabilities enable it to connect to a wide range of sensors and gateways, making it a flexible and scalable solution for various applications.

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LoRaWAN gateway: This device receives temperature data from the converter and transmits it to the cloud system using a cellular connection.

LoRaWAN gateway is a device that enables communication between end devices and a network server, allowing data to be transmitted over long distances with low power consumption. It can then be processed and made available to end-users through an IoT Platform.

IoT platform

Our IoT platform provided real-time monitoring, allowing the company to quickly detect and address any issues with the bus bars. It also allowed for remote access, enabling engineers and managers to monitor the bus bars from anywhere at any time. Additionally, the platform provided advanced data analysis and visualization, which helped Asian Paints to identify patterns and trends in the temperature data and optimize its operations. It also included the ability to set alarms for specific temperature thresholds and generate reports for analysis, which helped to minimize the risk of damage to equipment or other safety hazards.

Electrical Panel Temp Map
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Benefits

  • Improved efficiency: By monitoring the temperature of bus bars in real-time, Asian Paints was able to quickly detect and address any issues, which helped to improve the efficiency of its operations.
  • Increased safety: The solution included setting alarms for specific temperature thresholds, which helped minimize the risk of damage to equipment or other safety hazards.
  • Remote access: The IoT platform allowed engineers and managers to access temperature data remotely, which provided greater flexibility and allowed them to monitor the bus bars from anywhere at any time.
  • Scalability: The dashboard was able to accommodate a large number of devices and sensors, making it possible to monitor multiple bus bars at once.
  • Data analysis and visualization: The platform provided advanced tools for data analysis and visualization, which helped Asian Paints to identify patterns and trends in the temperature data and optimize its operations.
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