IIoT sensors can be used to make older equipment “smart”. Many factories have machines that are not capable of connecting with external systems, or they only offer analogue transmission possibilities. However, replacing these machines can be costly and often unnecessary if the machines still function well. In this case, retrofitting machines with IIoT sensors that communicate machine data to external systems can be a cost-effective solution.  

IIoT sensors can be used to measure the power consumption of individual machines or even entire circuits. This data can be used to identify which aspects of the production process are not energy efficient, and where valuable resources can be saved through more effective energy management. 

Modern factories are moving away from reactive maintenance strategies (in other words, repairing and servicing machines once they malfunction) to more proactive strategies (using data to predict when a machine needs to be serviced to prevent malfunctions). Data is crucial to a proactive maintenance strategy, and this data is provided by IIoT sensors. 

Automation is driven by data: firstly, data is needed to understand current processes and to identify triggers for events, and secondly it is needed to implement automation procedures. This data can be delivered by IIoT sensors from all areas of the manufacturing processes.  

Environmental conditions can be a vital part in ensuring efficient and safe operations in a factory. These could be the temperature and humidity of a factory floor, the operating temperature of a machine, dust levels, barometric air pressure, vibration levels, and much more.  

Used to monitor environmental conditions of machines, industrial enclosures, rooms and areas. These sensors can be used to maintain a safe environment for workers (e.g. by monitoring air quality or checking for dangerous gases), ensure optimal conditions for equipment (ensuring operating temperatures remain within reasonable temperatures or that humidity is not too high), or indicate when there has been a failure (e.g. by checking for water leaks or rising temperatures).  

Used to sense or measure changes in velocity. This can either be linear acceleration (velocity change in a single direction) or centrifugal acceleration (velocity change caused by an object moving in a circle). In manufacturing, these are commonly used to measure vibration of rotating equipment, such as turbines, bearings or fans. 

Used to measure the rotation of an object as well as its angular velocity. These sensors can help to determine the object’s orientation without having to actually observe it.

Although not a class of sensors on its own, the term “inertial measurement units” refers to measuring an object’s orientation and velocity using a combination of output metrics from various sensors, such as from accelerometers and gyroscopes.  

Used to track the geographic location of an object. This is useful for tracking shipments, vehicles, machines, and more.