Wireless at tipping point
13 May 2010
A series of market research surveys shows that there has been a dramatic change in attitudes towards industrial wireless over the last 12 months
Almost two manufacturing facilities in every three (64%) now have at least one wireless application deployed in their plant, an increase of 23% over April 2009. This growth reflects a trend from wireless being regarded as a technical curiosity into adoption in the operational mainstream.
In April 2009 a substantial majority of firms (61%) were not considering wireless applications, or additional wireless applications. Just 12 months later the situation has been reversed with 72% of facilities now considering their first or additional wireless applications, an 85% increase and a clear indication that the technology has achieved a “tipping point”.
The most widely adopted wireless application in the last 12 months has been for sensor networks for condition monitoring and asset management, with an increase of 56%. Video monitoring applications increased 33% and installations enabling workforce mobility rose 27%, but communications and location tracking usage saw little or no increase.
Adoption of wireless sensors for condition monitoring continues to gather significant interest but the real applications drivers now are video monitoring, communications and workforce mobility. Firms considering video applications surged 40% over the last year, potential communications usage rose 31% and possible workforce mobility installations registered a 29% increase. In contrast, interest in wireless condition monitoring systems was just 11% higher.
The three main reasons behind the trend to wireless adoption are: replacement of old systems, compliance and cost reduction. And whilst there are many management issues when considering wireless applications, the two main factors are compliance with safety, security and environmental requirements and the productivity of plant personnel. Cost reduction was in third place, with improved asset utilisation and up-time, usually the main driver for wireless condition monitoring, in fourth.
Cost and budget constraints is seen as the number one barrier to wireless adoption, but the percentage of respondents naming this as the main reason peaked in Q4 of 2009, suggesting, perhaps, the beginning of an economic turnaround. There also has been a surge in the number of respondents naming a lack of wireless expertise on site as a barrier to its use, now in a clear second position after rating only fifth a year ago. One reason for this could be that greater understanding of the technology has brought a realisation that a new skill set is required to design, deploy and manage wireless applications.
One trend is clear from the eight surveys undertaken. Those people expecting their wireless application deployment to be more than 18 months away have increased by more than 50%, whereas those expecting an application within six months have decreased by almost the same amount. Much of this is likely to be attributable to budget restrictions being the main factor to adoption and the uncertainty over when capital budgets will begin to grow.
Wireless networks provider Apprion believes the results of the surveys reflect the pragmatism of the process manufacturing industry, but probably are accentuated because of the present economic environment.
The current state of industrial wireless
- 64% of process manufacturing facilities now have at least one wireless application installed at their facility
- April 2009 - April 2010 saw a 23% increase in wireless adoption and an 85% increase in those currently considering wireless applications
- Condition monitoring / Asset management applications led wireless adoption in 2009 with an increase of 56%
- Video, communications and mobility are the applications driving the next wave of adoption
- Workforce productivity and compliance with safety / security are the key drivers for adoption
- The number one barrier to implementing wireless applications is cost / budget constraints
Survey collaboration
US-based wireless networks provider Apprion and “Control” magazine, which covers industrial process automation, undertook a series of eight surveys in the 12 months from April 2009 in order to gain an insight into the state of wireless application adoption within the process manufacturing industries. Over 1,200 readers of the magazine participated in the surveys, the results of which have been summarised to provide an April 2010 industry snapshot.
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