Network
video is currently being used for monitoring manufacturing lines,
industrial and pharmaceutical processes, automation, warehouse and
stock control systems to name just a few examples of industrial
applications.
Efficiency at a production plant can be greatly enhanced through the use of "virtual eyes."
Examples of where cameras can be used in an industrial setting:
At, for example, a rock crushing plant or chemical processing plant where there are health hazards for employees, remote monitoring of production processes provide the ideal solution. A network video system feeding images to the control room gives a plant worker the opportunity to check for machine malfunctions without the slightest risk of inhaling dust or toxic fumes.
Cameras observing an automated production line or factory robots can be programmed to send e-mail alerts if something unusual occurs. That way, the plant's staff is relieved of the monotonous and time-consuming process of watching out for machine malfunctions.
If a malfunction does occur and there are no service engineers in the area, network video can be used to set up a virtual meeting and get technical support at a distance.
The accumulated costs of petty theft of raw materials entering and manufactured goods leaving a plant can add up to a huge problem over time. Network cameras work as a crime deterrent here, as well as offering an easy way to check the efficiency of the loading/unloading methods being used.
Making sure a storage system works well--that goods can be accessed
and are efficiently managed--can significantly affect the bottom
line at a manufacturing plant. The fact that storage is often
handled at remote sites, usually due to the lower cost, makes this
another good place to install network video.
Volkswagen (Germany),
Pines Manufacturing (USA) and China XiNan Power Elc. are
examples of Axis customers currently using network
video products for industrial surveillance.