Electricity and Control February 2023

INDUSTRY 4.0 + IIOT : PRODUCTS + SERVICES

Getting started with the Internet of Things

Smart plastics specialist igus recently joined the Berlin-based IoT Use Case expert network. The Internet of Things has growth potential estimated in trillions of euros, but in Europe, as elsewhere, many industrial

projects and talk specifically about the value IoT adds will we be successful here,” says IoT Use Case founder Madeleine Mickeleit. The experts share knowledge about the IoT and dis cuss how to improve the quality, security, and dissem ination of IoT technology. Interested companies can read over 350 use cases and projects from the network, follow expert podcasts, and exchange ideas easily with like-minded companies. The Internet of Things has enormous potential for the economy. Research indicates the increasing value po tential in factory environments going forward. Habering says, “This makes it important for companies to set the right course for digitalisation now, so they do not fall be hind in international competition.” Enriching the network with smart plastics expertise Smart plastics are sensor systems that monitor the sta tus of energy chains and cables, enabling technicians to plan maintenance work in a targeted manner and react early to impending component failures. Among the users – which can be found as use cases on the network web site – is GHD Georg Hartmann Maschinenbau. The com pany has equipped a bread packaging machine with igus i.Sense CF.Q. In real time, the sensor system mon itors the energy and data cables moving at high speed in the energy chains. Habering points out that: “i.Sense CF.Q’s advanced technology detects impending cable breaks before they occur.” The igus smart plastics portfolio includes i.Sense TR.B, an intelligent condition monitoring system for 3D energy chains on industrial robots; the low-cost i.Sense EC.W service life sensor; and the latest i.Sense CF.D pro totype for monitoring heavily used data cables. For more information contact igus South Africa. Tel.: +27 (0)11 312 1848 E-Mail: ihewat@igus.net, visit: www.igus.co.za innovative capabilities of smart manufacturing. A founding member of The Smart Factory @ Wichita, together with Deloitte and other ecosystem members, Siemens developed the eXplore Live space as a 3 000 square-foot area dedicated to hands-on learning opportunities for companies looking to modernise, reshore, localise, or regionalise their operations in North America. The eXplore Live space will enable Siemens to expand customer engagements at The Smart Factory @ Wichita with a showcase focused on design and optimisation using a closed loop digital twin. It will also enable exploration of industry digital threads, provide space for innovation workshops and co-creation, and help

companies have difficulty digitalising internal processes. As a new member of the Use Case expert network, igus here outlines the case of a bread factory where energy chains incorporating smart sensor systems are used, offering a route to getting started with IoT. Monday morning in the bread factory: the packaging system suddenly breaks down. A minor component has failed, resulting in potentially long downtime and high re pair costs. The most annoying thing about it is that a small investment in digitalisation and networking would have been enough to implement measures to warn the oper ator of the problem through the Internet of Things (IoT). Smart condition monitoring is something that, despite its economic efficiency, few companies in Germany are implementing. This reluctance is confirmed in a survey by US market research company, International Data Corporation (IDC). Of 250 companies surveyed with over 100 employees, only 29% are working on IoT projects. “To accelerate the pace of digitalisation, we joined the Berlin-based IoT Use Case network of experts in October 2022,” says Richard Habering, head of the smart plastics business unit at igus. “By doing educational work with best practice examples, sharing expertise, and gener ating synergistic effects, we hope to make it easier for companies to get into the Internet of Things and enhance their future competitiveness.” Setting the right course More than 80 industrial partners from more than 15 countries have now joined the community of technolo gy and industry experts, including Microsoft, Siemens, and Schaeffler. “Only if we share best practices from our

The IoT Use Case network is an international community of technology and industry experts committed to sharing best practices learnt from implemented projects.

Industry 4.0 innovation at The Smart Factory @Wichita

Siemens Digital Industries Software recently opened its eXplore Live centre at The Smart Factory @ Wichita, an experience centre convened by Deloitte that marries an

ecosystem of world-leading organisations with business strategy and cutting-edge technology to demonstrate Industry 4.0. Located on the Innovation Campus of Wichita State University, in Kansas in the USA, TheSmart Factory includes a fully operational production line and experiential labs for developing and exploring the

eXplore Live at Deloitte’s The Smart Factory @ Wichita helps companies experience the future of smart manufacturing.

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10 Electricity + Control FEBRUARY 2023