Wireless Devices in Process Manufacturing

Market interest in wireless industrial devices is growing rapidly in the process industries as new processes and incremental improvements are enabled by untethered devices.  Standardization of wireless network protocols for both devices and infrastructure is making the technology even more attractive to potential customers.  The ability to deploy devices that support reliable industrial wireless network protocol standards at the device level, such as WirelessHART and ISA100.11a, and then interface to higher-level process control systems and standard Wi-Fi networks, is a significant value proposition.
 
Many initial applications for wireless devices in the process industries are focused on adding incremental points to improve control strategies or meet safety or environmental regulations.  In many cases, these installations are driven by the ability to take measurements that were previously unattainable, often because the target is in a difficult-to-reach location or is mobile.

As wireless device adoption accelerates, the market emphasis will move from these incremental point additions to more comprehensive wireless installations.