Digitising the industry with IIoT and automation
11 December 2017
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As a result of Brexit, not only do organisations have to keep on top of the latest global trends, they are also required to manage the unpredictability of the market. Martin Walder, VP of Industry UK & Ireland at Schneider Electric looks at the immergence of Industry 4.0 and how UK organisations must adapt to new technology fast, or risk falling further behind on productivity vs others of the G7 economies and rapidly advancing eastern economies.
For example, our energy consumption is currently predicted to rise by up to 50 percent over the next 40 years. Yet, at the same time, CO2 emissions need to halve. Simply, this means that there is no choice but for the industry to become at least three times more efficient.
With increased pressure on performance, the industrial world should see the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) as an opportunity. Especially given the reported new business growth of £11 trillion that is up for grabs. However, for many, that is a daunting prospect. What’s important to note is that preparing for the future should be an evolution, not a revolution. Increased automation and the use of IIoT-ready devices is all part of industry-wide digitisation. That doesn’t mean a complete replacement of existing systems just because new technical capability is available. It simply means that new technologies and capabilities can be implemented to work in harmony with the legacy systems that already exist.
Simple yet effective
In fact, often organisations overlook the impact of incremental changes and what it is that they are trying to achieve. Understanding what benefits they seek is imperative before any initiative or change is kicked-off.
What many people don’t foresee is that a dramatic difference in energy consumption can be achieved by making simple changes. For example, 70 percent of industrial energy today is used to turn motors. These motors are powered by variable speed drives and in certain industrial applications reducing motor speed by 20 percent can reduce the energy consumption by 50 percent.
For several years now, the cost of variable speed drives has been justified by its ability to drive this energy efficiency. However, it remains clear that these drives are underutilised with more than half of economic potential in the industry left untapped. Though let’s not forget that variable speed drives have much more potential beyond motor control. They have the potential to act as a critical component, connected through the IIoT, which can deliver business optimisation through enhanced energy and asset management and process optimisation.
The rapid development of these cost-effective technologies is bringing many new possibilities to the Industrial scene. Connected sensing devices and variable speed drives are just a selection of multiple technologies that are able to highlight areas of improvement and enable complete control allowing users to take the sufficient action should any problems arise.
Both productive and profitable
When looking at business growth, profitability and savings, VSD technology can offer cost savings of more than 40 percent, with payback periods that are usually less than two years. What’s more, these devices have the potential to make energy savings and increase profitability in almost every sector of UK business, by simply offering:
• Tighter, more accurate control of a motor's processes
• Increased lifespan of plant and equipment (through programmable soft starts reducing the stress on motors)
• Improved Power Factor (as increased efficiency means more of the electrical current drawn is used to drive the motor's processes)
• Compatibility with Building Management Systems (BMS) allowing for wider control
Mindful of the risks
Despite the major benefits minimal changes such as implementing VSD technology can make in an attempt to improve efficiency, being mindful of the risks of new and evolving technology – particularly with regard to cyber security is imperative. Industry-wide digitisation is an evolution of a few distinct market and technology changes – mobility, cloud and analytics. Yet, just because its grounding is deep-routed, does not mean it comes without vulnerabilities.
Martin Walder, VP of Industry UK & Ireland at Schneider Electric
The IIoT is accelerating the need for cybersecurity in industrial control systems and industry stakeholders across all markets have their concerns. From fiscal year 2011 to fiscal year 2014, the number of cyber incidents involving industrial control systems rose from 140 incidents to 243 incidents, with an estimated £240-£320 billion cost attached each year.
Many existing OT networks in the industry have been created with a piecemeal approach that has evolved over time organically. Consequently, existing systems are not performing to an optimised scale and remain insecure when it comes to cyber threats. To mitigate this, networks must be assessed on a regular basis so that resolutions can be achieved with immediate effect.
When organisations are looking to expand, and add devices to their networks, under the IIoT framework, they will identify IoT ready devices with open connectivity and security built-in as standard; for example, Achilles Level 2 certified products as practised by Schneider Electric. Only those organisations that ensure products optimise environments and remain secure, will get one step ahead of the competition. Failure to do this, will leave an organisation behind in a highly competitive market.
Embracing the industry of the future
To maintain pace in an age in which productivity and efficiency are no longer optional, embracing Industry 4.0 to put a stop to the currently declining productivity is critical. Embedding new technologies such as smart connected products and systems foster a more agile and responsive infrastructure. By adopting small changes, one by one, leading UK businesses will start to notice increased profitability. Then, as plans are drawn up for the longer-term and businesses prepare themselves to manage risks associated with this new technology, it is true that the possibilities for manufacturing can be endless.
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