One of the promises of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Industry 4.0 is the visibility provided to the manufacturing plant floor. But what information is important and from what type of field devices? So we asked those two questions to our most progressive group of customers…IO-Link users. These customers have realized the benefits of IIoT and I4.0 through the enabling technology of IO-Link.
The included Infographic displays the most valuable information from the most critical devices. Not surprising that predictive maintenance information is viewed as the most critical. Examples of this would include sensors getting dirty or out of adjustment but still operational for the time being. Interestingly, firmware revision control made the top of the list. This appears to be a growing trend as more and more field devices have microprocessors creating revision control issues.
As for the devices, measurement products were on the top of the list. That’s understandable as these products tend to be more costly and complex with parameter and calibration information. Most interesting were the good-old power supplies. These hard working, often forgotten products are critical, but obviously few people are concerned about how they are functioning. This could also be due to the fact that there are not many viable products on the market.
Whether you’re a seasoned professional with IIoT and I4.0 or just looking at the possibilities, the enabling technology of IO-Link is here now. And better yet, it’s scalable to your needs. Have a look today at www.balluff.us/io-link.
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Enabling the Visibility Provided by the Industrial Internet of Things