Remote Monitoring Challenges & Opportunities

Bill Lydon’s Automation Perspective
By Bill Lydon, Editor
New technology is enabling remote monitoring capabilities to improve operational effectiveness. This presents users with opportunities and challenges to be evaluated for practical applications. The goal is to improve manufacturing or process uptime and efficiency. Subject matter experts are becoming increasingly hard to find and companies need to find ways to use them more efficiently. The latest remote monitoring tools allow experts to analyze problems and abnormal situations, and determine ways to improve and optimize operations, without traveling to the site.
Point or System Solution
Certainly radio, satellite, and cellular connections are good choices for remote equipment in applications like water/waste water, oil & gas, and pumping stations. In a factory or process plant it may be appealing to add a communication device to a machine to remotely troubleshoot and diagnose issues. This piecemeal approach may be warranted in special cases, but it may be more advantageous to take a systems level approach. A well-managed cyber-secure connection to the automation system network allows secure access to the entire system and simplifies administration. Older controllers without Ethernet connections can be interfaced to the plant system network using Ethernet gateways, which are available from a number of suppliers.
Cyber Risk
Remote radio, satellite, and cellular connections to automation systems create a new cyber security risk to operations. By adding an outside communications portal to a machine controller located on a plant network, the user broadens the cyber-attack surface. The user creates the cyber-security risk of malware infiltrating the network, data loss and malicious access to applications. Some type of firewall should be designed into the system to provide a secure gateway or access control point for all network traffic. For more critical processes and equipment, a device that provides deep packet inspection should be considered. Such a device can block traffic when network packets contain a known virus or exploit signature.
In-house or Contract Experts?
A number of suppliers are offering remote monitoring services. Experts and analytic software continuously monitor controllers and/or systems for abnormal situations and advise site personnel of current problems or predictions of future problems.
Control suppliers that offer these services certainly should have experts and software that can quickly detect issues with the controllers, components, and software that they provide. Since most plants have equipment from multiple suppliers, the value of this service may be limited if the provider does not monitor all equipment and applications. In some general equipment and process control applications, contract experts can detect and advise on issues in your plant production. A big advantage of the services approach is a third party has a remote, 24/7 operations center to constantly monitor your systems.
Some providers propose the collection of performance analytics information to learn how machinery is working and provide alerts when performance falls outside of predefined parameters. This requires the development of rules with input from plant staff because they understand the plant operations. Alternatively, companies can run a local rules engine with the rules developed by plant staff. This option may be more responsive and cost effective.
Video
One new option for remote monitoring is the use of livestreaming video. This allows allowing local staff to collaborate with offsite subject matter experts who can virtually explore problems and provide advice. This video streaming can be accomplished with smart phones, tablet computers, Google Glass, or rugged camera headsets. The software applications can be as simple as FaceTime, Skype, WebEx, or GoToMeeting.
Motorola has purpose-built the HC1 headset computer for remote collaboration. The hands-free mobile computers provide access to documents and schematics while allowing remote subject matter experts to assist local personnel.
Challenges
These new technologies enable subject matter experts to work more efficiently. There are fundamental issues to be considered.
First, we are experiencing a shortage of automation people. As the service provider’s businesses grow, finding more knowledgeable people will be a problem that could impact the service you receive. Quality of service requirements and measurements should be built into service supplier agreements.
Second, in-house knowledge is fundamental to running your plant or process. It is part of the company’s competitive advantage. Outsourcing associated services can hurt your company’s bottom line.
Third, there is a potential for loss of intellectual property that is important to your business.
Ultimately, when most problems and issues are identified someone needs to be onsite with the right tools, information and spare parts to get things working. Determining the best methods to achieve improved uptime and efficiency is the overall challenge.

Check out our free e-newsletters
to read more great articles.
- Posted in:
- Article
- Related Portals:
- Cybersecurity, Manufacturing Operations Management, Plant & Asset Management
MORE ARTICLES
-
PLC Programming Preference Survey: Insights & User Comments
By Bill Lydon, Automation.com
The PLCopen organization and Automation.com conducted a joint survey of PLC programming preferences. Here are some... -
Robots or Cobots: Which to Choose?
By Jonathan Wilkins, EU Automation
Today’s plant managers are faced with a dearth of automation technologies but it’s not always obvious what... -
A Closer Look at Composites
By Robert Glass, Exel Composites
Composites have transformed the technologies of many industries —although the materials used to manufacture... -
How AI is Disrupting the Oil and Gas Industry
By Ripal Vyas, Softweb Solutions
The arrival of new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) is transforming the... -
Digital Technologies in the Supply Chain
By Jonathan Wilkins, director, EU Automation
Errors in the pharmaceutical supply chain can lead to late delivery, increased costs and poor-quality...
RELATED
-
Pepperl+Fuchs Comtrol and Callisto Integration announce strategic partnership
Pepperl+Fuchs Comtrol and Callisto work with each manufacturing customer to deliver initial solutions that have tangible results, and then collect...
-
Arena Solutions announces strategic partnership with PRG
This deepened strategic partnership expands PRG’s services for Arena customers that desire assistance or simply have limited internal resources....
-
Tenable announces acquisition of Indegy
The Indegy Industrial Cybersecurity Suite integration with Tenable.sc, for on-prem vulnerability management, is available today. The Indegy...
-
Senseye announces opening of Paris office
Senseye’s operation in Paris is led by Peter Livaudais, VP Strategic Accounts, who has 30 years of experience working in the European technology...
-
Gowanda Components Group announces acquisition of RCD Components
Terms of the deal were not disclosed but GCG has stated that RCD will maintain its operations in Manchester as well as their support facilities in...