The Open IIoT group has exhibited a complete Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) demonstration unit at CeBIT in Sydney, and wrapped up its series of Demonstration Days for the year in Brisbane.
The IIoT industry group comprising SMC Corporation, Balluff, Beckhoff Automation, NORD Drivesystems, ZI-Argus, and Universal Robots put the unit together for the live demo in order to show that the Internet of Things is not just a concept, said Darrell Adams of Universal Robots.
“This is a joint venture between a number of companies that primarily exist in the manufacturing space. It’s an idea that we’ve put together to try and help people understand that IoT is not just a virtual thing at this point – it’s actually physical and in operation in businesses throughout Australia and the world as well.
“A lot of people don’t see IIoT being that close to actual realisation in manufacturing. In our case, we’ve put together something that’s kind of relevant for small to medium enterprises,” he said.
Universal Robots contributed a collaborative robot (cobot) to the setup, operating alongside automated components from the collaborators with an overview panel and software interface run by ZI-Argus.
“This is to show the interaction between the different products that are out there, and how they can be put together to give you an end result that will actually produce intelligent data,” said Adams.
With 96 per cent of the global manufacturing industry being made up of small to medium enterprises, says Adams, the Open IIoT group is hoping to convince Australian manufacturers to implement Industry 4.0 and to show them how this can help their business.
“We ask Australians to embrace this technology, to embrace the change, and to move as quickly as they can, because manufacturing in Australia is something that needs to be on the incline.
“We want to improve it, and we want to see Australia back in the race when it comes to people moving manufacturing to our shores, rather than moving it away,” he said.
The group has also concluded a series of demonstration days across Victoria, NSW, and Queensland with a visit to Brisbane, at which they showed the unit in operation and gave advice on a panel about implementing IIoT technologies. The panel cautioned guests that IIoT represents a long-term investment of around 10 to 15 years.
“Invest in a modular concept so that you’re flexible and can upscale based on your ongoing needs and demands. Also, as your company’s operational KPIs become more important, having a component that collects data and provides ample warning for reduced maintenance costs are of major benefit.
“Engage with partners, engage with the industry, and really put yourself out there in an open way. What you’re looking for will be out there and will be achievable,” the group said.
