IOT & Connected Things

Automatically transfer the data collected through sensors and machines to the network and, above all, transform this data into value for the company, this is the beating heart of IoT.

But what are the advantages that push companies to invest more and more in this direction?

Thanks to Smart Product and Smart Factory projects, companies improve efficiency, optimizing production quality and reducing costs, thanks to the ability to make truly "informed" decisions.

By allowing the creation of connected and intelligent products, thanks to the union of IoT and Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning, the benefits are tangible and truly differentiating: companies are now able to offer innovative value-added services and products, developing new models of business, from a "product as a service" perspective.

Lutech Group is one of the most complete and reliable IT partners in the development of IoT projects, thanks to an end-to-end offer that combines hardware components and software solutions and goes from sensor design to analytics management. with scalable solutions capable of orchestrating data from various sources and returning them in a timely and contextual way, according to the user's needs.

In particular, we can identify some development contexts for projects involving the Internet of Things such as:

• Advanced Manufacturing Operations
• Remote Field service
• Building Automation & Optimization
• Smart connected products

È l’IoT applicata alla produzione che introduce l’Industry 4.0. In particolare, è il contesto dei progetti di Smart Factory che sfruttano soluzioni integrate hardware e software intelligenti e connesse, con l’obiettivo di produrre dati per il monitoraggio e l’analisi preventiva dello stato delle macchine di produzione. 

It is the IoT applied to production that introduces Industry 4.0. In particular, it is the context of Smart Factory projects that exploit intelligent and connected integrated hardware and software solutions, with the aim of producing data for monitoring and preventive analysis of the state of production machines.

These are projects for the automation of production machines and integration of application tools, mainly CAD, PLM e SCADA, with classic business management services such as ERP and CRM. Projects that, to tend, provide for the possible extension of the integration to external systems of component suppliers or customers in the OEM segments. For this type of implementation, the Lutech Group relies on its link with various leading vendors such as, for example, PTC.

Maximum visibility on production data guarantees results that were unthinkable until a few years ago in terms of process optimization, increased efficiency and time-to-market and timely awareness of critical issues and machine downtime. Furthermore, the integration of machine learning algorithms, or in general of tools based on Artificial Intelligence, guarantees an intelligent monitoring of the machines for predictive purposes and a great opportunity to optimize production by focusing on the processing of information related to customers, and therefore on the business objectives.

Connecting products using the IoT also enables another component of the Lutech Group's offer, which we define as Remote Field service. In this context, the remote control of any product when possible allows the development of Augmented Reality and/or Virtual Reality particularly useful in maintenance and assistance contexts, as well as in on-field training. Building a direct connection between the operator in the field, who could also be an operator of the client company, guarantees maximum efficiency in remote intervention. Thanks, for example, to Smart Glasses, those with authorization to operate can use a virtual reality environment that indicates in real time how to intervene and the components to be replaced. A process supported by specific application solutions for the virtual reconstruction of the products that guarantees maximum efficiency, strong containment of intervention costs and, therefore, a high ROI.

Terzo contesto di operatività dei progetti che coinvolgono sensori, dispositivi IoT e algoritmi di Intelligenza Artificiale è la Building Automation & Optimization. Seguendo una tendenza particolarmente accelerata dall’emergenza sanitaria dei primi mesi del 2020, il Gruppo Lutech sta sviluppando diversi progetti in ambito Building Management. Un mercato che racchiude diverse attività, dall’automazione dei varchi di ingresso a un’azienda o ai centri di produzione, al monitoraggio del personale in forma anonima – risolta dal Gruppo Lutech con la soluzione Power Shields, dall’automazione dei locali aziendali (illuminazione, temperatura, protezione) alla connessione tra impianti, persone e dispositivi all’interno di una fabbrica. In questi progetti, il Gruppo Lutech sfrutta la leadership e la varietà d’offerta di diversi brand di riferimento come Cisco.

In the manufacturing field, the development of interconnected intelligent products makes it possible to provide new methods of use and new business models.

The most structured companies already have remote control systems for their machines but most are looking for infrastructures capable of managing software updates and value-added services such as:

• Connect the product control system (PLC) and / or intelligent sensors in reading and writing;
• Transmit data securely to a DB via wifi, sim data etc;
• Collect data in datacenter, cloud and / or hybrid architectures;
• Condition monitoring for real-time viewing of monitored data via browser, app, AR;
• Machine learning to understand how machines work and optimize their operation
• Predictive and Prescriptive analytics to develop new services and new business models (as a service, sales models, etc.).

The Lutech Group pursues a very precise schematic approach in tackling Industrial IoT projects together with its customers. A fundamental feature is the provision of an AaaS service, Assessment as a Service, which includes the necessary introductory advisory component in order to define a precise map of the IT infrastructure and pre-existing industrial components. Following the mapping, an action plan is conceived exclusively based on business priorities. It is important to underline that, in projects of this type, it does not push for a forced replacement of infrastructure components or machinery, unless strictly necessary.

The primary goal is to maintain a high ROI especially through the requalification of what is already present and the timely intervention only on certain components that are not adequate for the objectives and KPIs required. Furthermore, the redevelopment of the structure is supported by a complete portfolio of Smart Things (Products and Services) aimed at the full optimization of operational processes.

As already pointed out, the correct processing and orchestration of the data generated by the various company assets represents the main purpose of the project. For this reason, input / output and centralized management tools and interfaces take on particular importance.

Another essential component is the horizontal integration process of the heterogeneous systems and services already present, an activity that can be delegated to a competent and referenced system integrator. For this the Lutech Group makes use of its own development skills and the offer of various specialized vendors, from which it draws the best-of-breed with which to compose the integrated solution.

Ultimately, the final result of an IoT project manifests itself through a centralized and uniform platform capable of collecting and orchestrating data and managing events in real time with essential characteristics of automation, predictivity and speed of development, to improve the customer. user engagement thanks to the contents created.