Any object can be made “smart” by connecting it to the Internet. Examples in our everyday lives include connectivity to smart household appliances and smart cars. Examples in the Manufacturing, Food and Beverage industries include how we interact with machinery, and use the data generated to ensure efficiency, reliability, quality control and safety.
While the IoT is revolutionizing how we live and work, SOMAX makes it easy to harness the power of the Internet and access to real-time data. This is how it works:
Step 1: Determine What Data Deserves Your Attention
You can use IoT to generate mountains of data about assets and equipment, but it’s useless if it doesn’t provide insight. In fact, data can also do more harm than good if interpreted incorrectly. The good news: SOMAX has used our extensive experience to determine the easiest way to detect common problems.
The three most important symptoms that indicate asset health are amperage, temperature and moisture. Focusing on these three key indicators makes it easy to continuously monitor asset health and intervene when necessary.
Step 2: Choose What to Make Smart
There are a two methods to determine which assets and equipment warrant continuous monitoring and should be made “smart” by adding Internet connectivity.
The first option is to go with the status quo. Any equipment or asset that is part of your routine inspections should be made “smart” and begin providing real-time performance data via the Internet of Things, rather than via a scheduled inspection.
Or, the second option is to improve on the status quo. Any equipment or asset that represents a significant risk to your operations if it becomes inoperable should be made “smart” and warrants continuous monitoring. For example, checking moisture levels in the basement of your facility may not be part of your routine maintenance inspections. However, if the basement of your facility is flooded, operations will cease and it represents a major financial risk to your organization. The cost of adding moisture sensors is insignificant compared to the catastrophic revenue loss associated with extensive water damage.
Step 3: Get Performance Data in Real Time
There are two ways to get real-time data on equipment and other important assets.
It’s easy to integrate modern equipment into the SOMAX system by simply feeding real-time performance data directly from the PLCs or SCADA systems into the SOMAX software.
Older equipment can be retrofitted easily with a wireless sensor. SOMAX wireless sensors are small, have a long battery life and can easily adhere to virtually any asset. Sensors can also come equipped with a probe to monitor temperature deeper inside equipment.
It’s also a cinch to continuously monitor non-motorized assets. For example, small sensors that fit almost anywhere can monitor the moisture level in your facilities, ensuring leaks and other small problems don’t turn into bigger, more expensive issues.
Not only is this information easy to gather, it’s easy to share. SOMAX users can access data on the mobile app no matter where they are – whether they are on a different part of the floor, in a different building or even in a different city.
Step 4: Use Everyone’s Time More Efficiently
Once you’re up-and-running with IoT capabilities, your smart equipment and assets can notify you when problems arise, eliminating the need for time-consuming routine inspections. Instead, time can be better spent FIXING problems, rather than wasting time doing routine inspections and managing paperwork.
This forward-thinking approach empowers people to solve problems before they escalate, streamlines the troubleshooting process, prevents unscheduled downtime and has saved our clients’ millions of dollars.
