The industrial sector is working hard to digitise its business and production processes. Only then will operations and maintenance become more efficient and completely new business models can be developed. Problem is, however, that this digitisation leads to ever-increasing amounts of data and a huge network of machines and systems. There is no easy solution; IIoT networks are only possible if different technologies are cleverly combined.
An important prerequisite for an IIoT network is the data-technical coupling of ICT with operational technologies: network technology 4.0. This requires extensive networking of all machines and systems and additional sensors and actuators between those machines and systems, at all company locations.
In the Internet of Things, devices are no longer just utensils, but cyber-physical objects that produce data and make this data available via the internet. Cloud services are ideal for data storage and processing across multiple locations.
It's all about security and sovereignty
In the consumer market - more than in the industrial sector - the Internet of Things is already well established. Just look at smartphones, voice assistants, fitness trackers and smart home devices. The driving force behind these are companies that like to have users' data and therefore make certain services available virtually for free.
The industrial sector is not waiting for this at all, which is why data security concerns are a major stumbling block on the road to IIoT. The chances of data being lost or rendered unusable in the cloud are nil, given the effort that well-known cloud providers put into preventing it. But: most of these companies are based in the United States and are therefore subject to US regulations. In particular, the Patriot Act scares European companies. Under this act, companies are obliged to hand over all their data if the US government asks for it.
European cloud
In the digitised industrial sector, data sovereignty, or full control over your own data, is vital. That is why the recent launch of the Gaia-X project to build a European cloud - under European regulations on security and transparency - is another important step.
Until companies can access these secure data services from Europe, most rely on private clouds running in their own data centres or those of regional providers. Since the nature and thus the need for protection of the accumulated data is different, hybrid forms of public and private clouds, called hybrid clouds, can also be found.
A common way to increase data security is to process it extensively on-site. If only the bare data is sent to the cloud and the meta-data is left locally, the data is harder to interpret and the dishonest 'finder' cannot do anything with it. It also reduces the amount of data, which often means significant savings on the cost of cloud services.
Large amounts of data
Many sensors no longer transmit information not only via the usual interfaces from the field to higher levels, but also directly to the cloud. Like cloud-enabled routers, controllers or edge access points, many sensors use open protocols such as MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) for data transmission. A cloud broker can thus catch fluctuations in transmission quality.
The huge amounts of data in IIoT present a major challenge when it comes to the speed, reliability and fail-safe nature of data transport. 5G technology has been developed not least to make the necessary bandwidths for IIoT available everywhere. But the required transmission bandwidth will clearly be reflected in the calculation of system operation. It is therefore necessary to consider very carefully what data will be processed in the cloud and with what frequency it will be sent there.
IIoT requires a thoughtful approach
Companies looking to IIoT-proof their systems will need to upgrade existing network architectures with compatible components, assemblies and devices. Besides the right network technology, including firewalls and surge protection, they also need the additional sensors, I/O systems, control systems and edge computers, including the necessary cloud connections.
Only with a thoughtful combination of different technologies can the reliability, security or even practical usability of IIoT networks be satisfactorily realised. When implementing them, companies must therefore rely on a partner who can provide them with the necessary hardware with the right compatibility.
Source: Thomas Kruse, Product manager at reichelt elektronik
