The growing concern for industrial establishments to reduce costs, enhance safety, and collect data efficiently has led to the greater uptake of industrial wireless systems. While advancements in wireless technologies give rise to reliable wireless sensors and sensor networks, a reduction in the cost of mature technologies such as Zigbee and WiFi have led to new applications and larger deployments.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.technicalinsights.frost.com), Industrial Wireless Systems for Monitoring & Control, finds that the reliability of wireless systems has increased considerably, driving them to new applications.

“Industrial wireless systems decrease installation costs by eliminating the need for wires, while also enabling sensing in remote and harsh industrial environments,” notes Frost & Sullivan Technical Insights Research Analyst Vishnu Sivadevan. “These systems are a significant mode of collecting additional data from field devices, machines, and processes, thereby enabling better maintenance and management of machines and processes.”

Industrial wireless systems are used for a broad spectrum of applications such as wireless sensing, wireless condition monitoring and control, as well as real-time location of people and assets in various manufacturing sectors. Wireless sensor networks enable the management of production processes, material handling systems, people, and movement of assets. Wireless systems also play an important role in the cost-effective automation of manufacturing systems.

However, no single wireless communication technology exists for the broad spectrum of applications in an industrial setting, namely data collection, location and tracking, voice and video communications, as well as wireless transmission of control signals. A challenge also remains because different applications use different radio wireless technologies; although a few wireless mesh networking technologies have become mature, standardization of an efficient wireless technology for industrial use is still marked by a fluid trend.

“Signal attenuation and range, which contribute to the reliability of wireless devices are also a major challenge for wireless system manufacturers,” says Sivadevan. “Due to this, in the future several wireless devices are likely to switch to more reliable radio standards such as ultra-wideband (UWB), which have more location tracking accuracy and lesser signal attenuation.”

Investment in wireless technologies that can be scaled up and upgraded would be productive in the long term. It would be desirable to choose wireless systems that could integrate easily into existing information systems.

Industrial Wireless Systems for Monitoring & Control, a part of the Technical Insights program, provides a technology overview and outlook for industrial wireless systems. Furthermore, this research service includes detailed technology analysis and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. Interviews with the press are available.

If you are interested in an analysis, which provides manufacturers, end users, and other industry participants with an overview, summary, challenges, and latest coverage of industrial wireless systems for monitoring and control, send an e-mail to David Escalante, Corporate Communications, at david.escalante@frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country. Upon receipt of the above information, an overview will be sent to you by e-mail.

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