IIoT: An environmental warrior

By OEM Update Editorial June 11, 2018 6:11 pm IST

Gurmeet Singh,
Managing Director,Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India Ltd
At present, we are using almost all modules of oracle system in our manufacturing operations. In some areas, we have deployed IoT systems.

IoT is becoming an essential requirement now
An IIoT solution draws its power from Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and the quality of human beings to make sense of it all. “IIoT is an environmental warrior and that is why leading global manufacturers are aggressively adopting it. For large scale manufacturing facilities set up in India, digitisation or IoT is now becoming an essential requirement. Almost all Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and large manufacturing plants have basic digitisation of their operations in terms of material requirement planning (MRP) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems,” explains, Gurmeet Singh, Managing Director, Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India Ltd.

“Some manufacturers have integrated the advanced concepts like IoT based Smart Factory and Digital Manufacturing, etc. However, at times integration of advanced tools with old machinery can prove a big challenge due to possible compatibility issues,” he adds.

For small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India, digitisation may prove a bit difficult as it requires basic IT infrastructure, including software and hardware, which would entail investment. Unfortunately, the SME sector’s inability to keep pace with digitisation is denting its competitiveness, observes Singh.

IIoT adoption drivers
This year industries like auto, transportation and logistics, oil and gas, air-conditioner and chiller manufacturing are expected to aggressively adopt IIoT. As another example, an effective IIoT solution will lead to a better utilisation of resources at oil wells and enable predictive maintenance at industry pipelines in vast geographies. The reason is, intelligent sensors at gas pipelines allow for real-time, centralised monitoring and maintenance of oil and gas pipelines across vast stretches of land, sea, aquifers, etc. Manufacturing and automotive are expected to drive highest volumes in IIoT adoption.

Hitachi’s preparedness in the area of IIoT
Hitachi is an innovative brand and it is the constant endeavour to embrace advanced technology — innovation not only in products but also manufacturing processes. “At present, we are using almost all modules of oracle system in our manufacturing operations. In some areas, we have deployed IoT systems. Further, we plan to increase the scope of IoT. As part of our short-term plan, we will extend usage of IIoT to all critical machinery and assembly lines,” informs Singh.

In Room AC segment, the company offers technologies like I-Clean Plus, I-Sense, I-See and Tropical Inverter. It also offer ACs equipped with WIFI technology, which enables users to control it from anywhere in the world. As a socially responsible company, Hitachi makes sure that its products are environment-friendly and conserve energy. In tandem with this, all our inverter ACs use R-410 refrigerant, this ensures zero-ozone layer depletion.

“Our commercial air-conditioners range offers smart commercial products that can be easily integrated in building management systems and centrally cool large commercial buildings and factories. For the commercial building segment, we offer VRF systems and water cooled screw chillers,” Singh adds.

Designed to meet the needs of architects and HVAC consultants, Hitachi’s set-free Kyosho range of VRF air-conditioning offers a holistic approach to cooling and heating modern offices.