7 Key Questions You Should Ask Your Industrial Video Provider
Frequently, video solutions for industrial use are purchased by an organization’s security department. But, because operations and security are distinct departments within an organization, there are often budget, control, and integration challenges.
Treating the video system as part of the SCADA system rather than the security system helps to clearly delineate video’s use, purpose, form factor, and control. Video equipment intended for industrial use should be treated just like any other piece of equipment in the plant. It is time to consider video as a critical part of every plant’s operation and an important tool for improving:
- Operational efficiency
- Worker safety
- Product quality
- Loss prevention
What to Consider
Not all video solution vendors are the same. Here are some key questions to ask your vendor to make certain you get the right solution.
- Can you provide industrial grade cameras that are certified for use in harsh and hazardous (Class I and Class II) areas? Do you offer options such as wipers, air knifes, and cooled enclosures?
- Does your system support SCADA integration technologies such as OPC or MODBUS?
- Does your video management software (VMS) support the ONVIF standard so that other vendors’ cameras can be added to the system? Or am I locked into your cameras?
- Does your VMS offer synchronized video playback by allowing users to click on a SCADA alarm or historical trend?
- Can I use your software to record and play back any HMI console monitor?
- For remote sites, does your solution allow recording at the edge, remote site-wide bandwidth management, store- and-forward clip upload technology, and a management system to monitor and manage the system centrally?
- Do your cameras include advanced HD or “temperature” monitoring radiometric thermal imagers?
Comprehensive industrial video solutions, like those from IVC, should include video management software that integrates video with your SCADA system, turning video cameras into additional process sensors.
Who’s Integrating Industrial Video with SCADA?
Automotive
Manufacturers use video technology to quickly identify quality issues to maintain production efficiency.
Petrochemical
Producers deploy cameras certified to operate
safely where explosive gases exist. Video is tightly integrated with production facilities’
SCADA systems.
Food & Beverage
Producers use video integrated with their SCADA systems to maintain product quality and ensure adherence to government regulations.
Steel Manufacturers
use cameras to monitor the external temperature of molten metal ladles to warn for breakouts.