What Can IIoT Sensors Measure and Monitor in a Food Processing Facility?

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is transforming the food manufacturing industry by providing access to vast amounts of data. Internet-connected sensors play a crucial role in collecting data, and they can be used in various ways in a food plant. Measurements can be taken to understand utility usage by product and identify hidden quality drivers. Monitoring systems can detect failures in equipment such as makeup air units or exhaust fans, HVAC air pressure, motor vibrations, and leaking pipes. Maximizing the value of a connected facility involves predictive maintenance plans and striving for a unified data system across all facility systems. The future holds potential for using predictive analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to make maintenance decisions and analyze data from multiple locations. The possibilities for leveraging data in food plants are extensive.