Smart sensors are the key ingredient to ensure connectivity for IIoT and can also help with the complete automation of factories.

Fremont, CA: Industrial automation is usually synonymous with robots. But there are many technologies deployed to completely automate the factory operations. Smart sensors are one of the technologies that have gained popularity in recent time. Smart sensors are designed to acquire and retransmit information to a local network. Unlike traditional sensors, which can only determine whether or not an object is there, smart sensors can gather a huge amount of data.

Smart sensors allow factories to augment industrial automation. Smart sensors can streamline the manufacturing process for products that normally undergo regular line changes by keeping track of it much quicker than the human eye can manage.

Smart sensors play an essential role in Industry 4.0, which basically is the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). These sensors collect and transmit data to the control computer, without which IIoT cannot be possible.

In production lines dealing with items of different sizes or shapes, sensors can automatically reset the output without slowing it down. Flexible machinery is becoming increasingly popular as manufacturers are trying to cut down on space and improve efficiency. The transition from one production line to the next, presently, needs some downtime to rework the equipment, so it's ready for the next product.

These sensors can work on various surfaces and applications. Smart sensors can detect the exact pressure in machinery and compressed air required to power those machineries. They can even be placed inside ovens or furnaces to ensure the equipment is getting the required heat. They can be used to check if manufacturing and storage machinery have been heated to or frozen to the required temperature and can even tell if any equipment is overheating. It can detect changes in ambient humidity for moisture-sensitive products, dry items, and sensitive electronics, which will save the enterprise from a huge loss.

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