DBT – Digital Box Technologies ·
Edge computing processes data close to the machines: filtering, aggregation and real-time anomaly detection, without depending on the link to the rest of the IS.
For manufacturers the benefits are concrete: lower latency for control, continuity during network outages, and only useful data sent up to business applications.
The typical architecture combines sensors and PLCs, an Edge gateway that collects and normalises data, then MES, monitoring or digital twin applications.
Cybersecurity must be designed in from the start: IT/OT segmentation, remote access control and equipment updates.
Choose a use case that needs local processing
Start with an operational question: track machine stops, aggregate measurements or detect drift. Specify who will use the result and what action it enables. Processing near production can reduce data transmission, but adding a gateway without a defined need mainly creates another asset to maintain.
Plan for lost connectivity
Specify what should happen when the connection between the workshop and central server fails. How long should measurements remain local? How will already-transmitted records be recognised when the link returns? Test timestamps, buffering and duplicate handling. A dashboard should not display stale data as a fresh reading.
Separate observation from control
Collecting data is not permission to modify automation. Define permitted flows, administration access and IT/OT responsibilities. A read-only pilot can measure data quality without introducing uncontrolled commands. Any action affecting the process needs appropriate approval from industrial operations owners.
Measure the pilot and plan maintenance
Choose one line and one business indicator, then measure data availability, missing values and operating effort. Document versions, configuration backups and gateway replacement. In Morocco as elsewhere, temperature, dust, power and connectivity constraints are site-specific and must be checked locally. A successful pilot should also be repeatable and maintainable.