Remote Monitoring of Edge Devices

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What is Remote Monitoring?

Collecting and analyzing data from sensors and other field devices, remote monitoring provides factories with insight and visibility into the performance of their machines, processes, and people. Even sensor data can be accessed in real time from any location, as well as logged for long term analysis.

Keep reading to learn about how remote monitoring technologies are revolutionizing industrial automation, offering smart factories greater visibility into their operations, and enabling better, data-driven decisions.

Overview

Applications

Products

Extend the Reach of Remote Monitoring with Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor networks provide remote monitoring capabilities and allow manufacturers to increase overall process efficiency and productivity.

By eliminating the wire limitations of conventional systems, wireless networking systems improve data logging, process monitoring and control, while maintaining high levels of security and integrity. Wireless sensor networks are especially advantageous where wired solutions are impractical, ineffective, or cost-prohibitive.

While historically wireless systems were difficult to install and complicated to maintain over time, wireless technology has advanced significantly over the years. Today many remote monitoring solutions are available that offer a reliable wireless communication integrated into a single, inexpensive unit. These new wireless I/O devices are easy to install, and then uninstall and move to a new location as monitoring requirements change.

Key Applications of Remote Monitoring

QM30VT Series vibration and temperature sensor with CM Series node and current transformer

Predictive Maintenance

Predict Failures and Prevent Unplanned Downtime

Remotely monitoring conditions like changes temperature and vibration enables predictive maintenance for machines. The benefits of predictive maintenance include:

Avoiding machine failures by making maintenance decisions based on historical and real-time data from the machine itself.
Enabling quick intervention to avoid downtime by monitoring time-sensitive conditions like changes in vibration, temperature, humidity, or tank level.
Initiating real-time alerts to operators so that critical situations can be resolved quickly to avoid extended downtime, scrapped materials, or product recall.

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)

Track and Reduce Causes of Waste

Remote monitoring provides a variety of benefits for facilities seeking to improve the overall efficiency of their operations. For example:

Remote monitoring technologies provide data for OEE calculations.
Facilities can reduce waste and minimize its impact thanks to visibility into when and where inefficiencies occur.
Access to logged data from sensors and indicator lights on machines enables users to track performance trends over time and identify steps for improvement.

Factory Communication and Process Optimization

Streamline Call for Parts, Pickup, and More

Remote monitoring technologies are also capable of improving the efficiency of manual assembly and production lines. Some of the benefits of wireless factory notification systems include:

Allowing managers to remotely monitor multiple lines and work more efficiently by reducing the amount of time spent checking in on lines unnecessarily. This enables managers to quickly respond to issues as they arise and focus their attention where it's needed most.
Increasing efficiency when managing and responding to call for parts, service, or pickup.
Reducing the need for workers to leave their workstations and find a manager when they need assistance.