According to experts, manufacturing is by far the biggest spender on IoT technologies, with a total of nearly $200 billion for discrete manufacturing and process manufacturing combined. In addition, there are many benefits to efficient resource utilization, minimizing human effort, saving time through the IoT platform, enhance data collection that improves security.

The challenges are high-Investment cost, secure data storage and management, connectivity outages, lack of standards. So how does a plant manager decide how to integrate IoT in manufacturing. Let’s discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each one.

Advantages of IoT in manufacturing:

1. Efficient resource utilization: Understanding how the machine’s functionality and how each device can increase the utilization of the machine to work more productively.
2. Minimize human effort: As your machines interact and communicate with each other and do many tasks for us, they minimize the human struggle. This may sound like a disadvantage to losing workers. However, you still need employees to interpret the data, program the machines, and support them.
3. Save time: Time is the primary factor that can save by using IoT in manufacturing. A job that took many workers now can be done with less time and fewer people. Taking that saved time, you can take on more projects.
4. Enhanced data collection: Having data at your fingertips to diagnose an issue with the machine is called predictive maintenance. You know what issues are before the machine breaks down.
5. Improve security: The machines that are interconnected with the network work more efficiently and securely. All your network operations are connected to use and find data quickly and efficiently.

Disadvantages of IoT in manufacturing:

1. Security of data management: As the IoT systems are interconnected and communicate over networks. Various outside attacks can compromise the machine; therefore, having the proper network SSL encryption is a must for any devices that communicate and exchange information.
2. High implementation cost: The cost of implementing IoT does cost a considerable amount. The software needed for IoT is expensive to keep updated.
3. Connectivity outages: In manufacturing, the buildings are massive, which allows for dead spots. This will hamper the productivity of your machine by connections coming in and out.
4. Lack of standardization: Many embedded developers and designers have their way of doing things, making the hardware industry vastly complex. In other words, each machine speaks a different language.

While there are challenges in creating IoT solutions for manufacturing, they can be addressed and overcome by working with the right partner. It’s up to you as a business owner to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of IoT in manufacturing.