Industrial IoT: what works in practice
- Retrofit beats replace. Most factories run machines for decades. Clamp-on current sensors, vibration sensors and Modbus reads add visibility without touching the control system.
- Start with one question, such as which machines stop unexpectedly and why, then choose the sensors that answer it.
- Security and safety come first: read-only connections to control systems, network segmentation and no inbound ports.
- Value comes from action, not dashboards. An alert that reaches the right technician before a bearing fails is the product.
What we monitor
| Measurement | Sensor or source | What it reveals |
|---|---|---|
| Vibration | MEMS accelerometer (e.g. ADXL series) | Bearing wear, imbalance, looseness |
| Motor current | Clamp-on CT or Hall sensor | Load, jams, overloads, energy use |
| Temperature | Thermocouple or RTD amplifier | Overheating, cooling faults |
| Machine state | Digital I/O, Modbus registers, signal tower | Run, idle, stop; cycle counts; OEE inputs |
| Energy | Energy meter via Modbus | Consumption per machine or shift |
Architecture
Sensor nodes (wired, BLE or LoRaWAN) feed an edge gateway that normalises data, runs simple analytics locally and forwards to an MQTT broker. Local processing means a line keeps working if the internet drops, and reduces cloud cost. Data lands in a time-series store, with dashboards and alerts on top. See cloud integration.
From data to predictive maintenance
- Collect a baseline across normal operating conditions before setting thresholds.
- Begin with rule-based alerts (for example vibration RMS above a learned baseline).
- Add statistical or machine-learning models only when enough failure history exists.
- Close the loop by routing alerts into the maintenance workflow your team already uses.
For a longer discussion, read The Future of IoT in Indian Manufacturing, and our published portfolio.
Security for factory networks
We recommend segmenting IoT traffic from the control network, using outbound-only connections, unique device credentials and signed firmware, in line with the ISA/IEC 62443 approach to industrial security.
Sources and further reading
- ISA/IEC 62443 series — Security standards for industrial automation systems.
- OPC Foundation — Industrial interoperability standard OPC UA.
- Modbus Organization — Protocol specifications used in many retrofits.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Regulations and product availability change; confirm current rules with the issuing authority before you commit to a design.