IPConsul automates operations with Cisco’s industrial IoT secure networking

Sweet Success: How Industrial IoT Transforms Maple Syrup Farming in the Harshest Environments 

When you think of a harsh industrial environment, nibbling squirrels might not immediately come to mind. For maple syrup farmers however, critters munching on tubing, bears gnawing on spouts, and equipment damaged by severe weather are just part of the routine. A remote 1000-maple tree farm in Quebec was therefore the ideal testing ground for IT service provider, IPConsul, to demonstrate how digital transformation in manufacturing can improve the bottom line in the most challenging environments. After all, if industrial IoT can work in a freezing forest, it can work anywhere. 

Harnessing IoT for Maple Syrup Operations: Remote Monitoring and Zero Trust Connectivity Keep the Sap Flowing 

With a syrup harvest season of less than a month and very tight profit margins, optimizing production and minimizing interruption are key to success. IPConsul partnered with Cisco to prove the effectiveness of industrial IoT in process automation, as well as reliable and secure data collection in highly challenging environments. The conditions can be harsh and unpredictable, the locations remote, and the processes traditionally very manual.  

IPConsul installed pressure sensors along 800 meters of vacuum pipes that extract sap from the maple trees to identify leaks and clogs, which are characterized by changes in pressure. The core network consists of Cisco industrial switches and routers, providing a solid foundation to operate from.  Cisco industrial switches provide the robust connectivity for all devices necessary to ensure seamless operations and efficient data flows.  Cisco Secure Equipment Access embedded in the industrial switches and routers enables zero trust remote access to syrup manufacturing equipment for configuration, maintenance, and troubleshooting. In the past, time consuming and costly travel to remote locations was needed to frequently check trees and equipment for issues. Now, with ongoing data monitoring, any leaks or pressure drops in the pipes, or equipment outages can quickly be detected, the exact location identified, and repairs performed promptly to keep the syrup flowing. In addition, proactive alerts help to prevent production downtime, which is imperative given the short harvest window. The solution also enhances harvesting efficiency by monitoring tree moisture content to determine optimal harvest times and tracking sap levels in collection tanks. IPConsul operated and evaluated the small-scale deployment for two harvest seasons to understand the results and benefits of industrial IoT connectivity in this rural forest setting. Data was monitored from a central location, which was located more than a mile from most of the sap-producing trees.  

From Manual to Digital: How IoT-driven Visibility Transforms Maple Syrup Production and Boosts Efficiency 

This type of visibility is transforming what has been a very manual tree-to-tree maintenance process to one where targeted repair at known locations can be easily implemented and has improved the efficiency of the harvesting process. The solution is scalable and can be applied to farms 500% larger than this remote maple tree farm. Every opportunity to streamline and create efficiencies reduces costs and contributes to the bottom line.  

This maple farm example helps highlight how efficiency improvements can be achieved through industrial IoT solutions. Many other manufacturers may benefit from this kind of solution to enable effective management and increased productivity. And the promise of AI will help to further increase the benefits achievable from data collection and analysis for even more advances. 

“Industrial IoT is a journey,” Guillaume Leduc, president & CEO, IPConsul says, “but with the manufacturing industry recognizing the importance of automation and the promise of AI in helping us to make faster, more accurate decisions from collected data, this is an exciting journey to be part of.” 

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