With its custom IoT solutions expertise, Bridgera enables OEMs to offer IoT services for industrial equipment, creating more value for their customers. This guide outlines the steps Bridgera recommends for OEMs to develop an industrial equipment monitoring IoT service.
The Foundation of Modern Industrial Operations
The ability to gather and act upon real-time data from machinery has become essential for efficient industrial operations. This change involves transforming traditional equipment into assets that provide continuous streams of information. It’s about more than just data collection; it’s about creating a network of devices that can communicate and collaborate. This transformation allows businesses to move from reactive maintenance to proactive planning, significantly reducing downtime and improving overall productivity.
Step 1: Understanding Your Industrial Equipment’s Controller
Understanding your equipment’s controller is crucial. Each controller uses specific communication methods, and mastering these methods is essential for accessing the data. This step often requires reviewing detailed technical documents and working with equipment manufacturers. Being able to understand and use these communication methods enables smooth data integration into your IoT system.
- Identify and gain access to your equipment’s controller data, utilizing communication protocols such as Modbus, CAN bus, OPC UA, or others.
- Connect with the relevant representative to obtain access to the communication protocol for your controller.
Step 2: Choose Your IoT Platform Provider
Choosing the right IoT platform is a critical decision that will impact the long-term success of your IoT service. Consider not only the current features offered by a provider, but also their roadmap for future development. The ability to scale as your needs evolve is essential. A robust IoT platform will offer a comprehensive suite of tools for data management, analysis, and visualization, enabling you to derive meaningful insights from your equipment data. Furthermore, evaluating the provider’s support and security measures is vital to maintain a reliable and safe operating environment.
- Select a reputable IoT platform provider offering foundational technologies for edge computing, data ingestion, data warehousing, real-time stream processing, batch analytics, visualizations, and customizable end-user experiences.
- Make a strategic “buy vs. build” decision, opting for an established IoT solution provider to leverage their expertise in developing secure and scalable cloud services.
Step 3: Build Your IoT Proof of Concept (PoC)
The proof-of-concept phase is where theoretical ideas are put to the test. This stage allows you to identify potential challenges and refine your approach before committing to a full-scale IoT deployment. By focusing on specific, measurable goals, you can ensure that your service delivers the intended value. This iterative process of testing and refinement is crucial for building an enterprise IoT solution.
- Develop a streamlined version of your IoT service to validate that it meets critical requirements.
- Clearly define specific goals for the PoC, such as real-time alerting, and systematically check these goals to ensure the technology aligns with the custom IoT service.
Step 4: Choose Your IoT Gateway and Connectivity Providers
Industrial equipment often operates in diverse and challenging environments. Selecting the right hardware and connectivity options is essential for uninterrupted data flow. Consider signal strength, bandwidth, and security when making your choices. The ability to adapt to different IoT connectivity methods allows for flexible deployment in any location.
- Recognize that the equipment’s controller may lack direct communication capabilities with IoT cloud platform. Consider retrofitting the equipment with an affordable Linux gateway to bridge the communication gap.
- Evaluate off-the-shelf gateways that support various connectivity options suitable for different deployment scenarios, such as cellular connectivity for field installations or WiFi/Ethernet for indoor setups.
Step 5: Develop Your Customer-Facing IoT Service
The user interface is how your customers will interact with your monitoring system. A well-designed interface is key to driving adoption and maximizing value. Tailor the interface to your customers’ needs, ensuring it is intuitive, easy to navigate, and provides clear, actionable insights. Robust IoT security measures are also essential for protecting sensitive customer data.
- Emphasize the concept of multi-tenancy in your customer facing IoT service, allowing each customer to access and monitor only the equipment they own.
- Invest time in developing a tailored end-user experience that includes user authentication, data visualization, and SMS/email alerting. Leverage IoT software development expertise, either in-house or through outsourcing, to create a highly customized user interface.
Industrial Asset Tracking and Management
Effective industrial asset tracking and management are vital components of modern industrial operations. Implementing an IoT monitoring system allows for real-time visibility into asset location, status, and performance. This is particularly crucial for remote asset monitoring, where physical access may be limited. Integrating devices with an IoT device management platform streamlines these processes, enabling seamless control and optimization of connected assets.
IoT Data Analytics and Predictive Maintenance
The impact of IoT data analytics is undeniable. By analyzing data collected from connected equipment, businesses can gain actionable insights and implement predictive maintenance strategies. This proactive approach minimizes downtime, reduces maintenance costs, and extends the lifespan of industrial equipment. Implementing IoT data processing capabilities and utilizing development expertise are essential for turning raw data into valuable insights.
Bridgera’s Industrial Equipment Monitoring IoT Service
Bridgera’s IoT Service provides a robust foundation for OEMs, offering a comprehensive edge and cloud platform designed to build and scale powerful solutions. We understand that each business faces unique challenges, which is why our platform delivers customizable features like user authentication, multi-tenancy, direct device integration, and a Visual Workflow Engine. Now, we’re taking it further with integrated AIoT capabilities. Our platform, enhanced by the AI-powered co-pilot “Jera,” empowers you with:
- AI-driven monitoring and predictive analytics: Enabling smarter, data-backed decisions.
- Automated workflows: Reducing manual intervention and boosting efficiency.
- Real-time insights and proactive alerts: Preventing costly disruptions before they occur.
- Simplified data analysis and reporting: Utilizing an intuitive, AI-assisted interface.
Join the growing number of organizations, from startups to Fortune 100 enterprises, that have leveraged Bridgera’s technology to deliver innovative solutions. Ready to take your IoT systems from smart to smarter?
Explore Bridgera’s AIoT Monitoring Platform, Interscope AI, today. Schedule a demo and discover how we can accelerate your journey towards intelligent, efficient, and future-proof industrial operations.
About Bridgera: Bridgera effortlessly combines innovation and expertise to deliver cutting-edge solutions using connected intelligence. We engineer experiences that go beyond expectations, equipping our clients with the tools they need to excel in an increasingly interconnected world. Since our establishment in 2015, Bridgera, headquartered in Raleigh, NC, has specialized in crafting and managing tailored SaaS solutions for web, mobile, and IoT applications across North America.
About Author: Joydeep Misra is the Senior Vice President of Technology at Bridgera LLC, specializing in IoT and SaaS. He played a pivotal role in establishing and leading Bridgera’s IoT division, showcasing a dedication to innovation and excellence in the tech field. Additionally, he is an accomplished author and sought-after public speaker.