Video can significantly improve productivity, reduce downtime, and streamline processes to give your manufacturing organization a competitive advantage. However, in order to realize the full benefits of video system implementation, following some best practices during the planning phase will ensure fewer headaches and maximize your return on investment.

Top 6 Best Practices for Video System Implementation in Manufacturing

Based on hundreds of customer deployments, we’ve rounded up our top six video system best practices to make your video implementation go smoothly:

  1. Make It Scalable: Manufacturing environments are dynamic, and production needs can change over time. Start by understanding your manufacturing environment, its current requirements, and potential future changes. Identify the specific areas, processes, and tasks that need monitoring and surveillance. Make sure it’s easy to add more cameras or expand the video surveillance system as your manufacturing facility grows. By designing a scalable camera system, you can accommodate future expansions, alterations in production processes, or the addition of new production lines without the need for a complete overhaul of your camera infrastructure.
  2. Design with Camera Flexibility in Mind: To adapt and adjust to different conditions, requirements, and purposes within a manufacturing environment, camera flexibility is key. Choose cameras that are versatile and adaptable. Look for cameras with adjustable lenses, and the ability to change settings like resolution, frame rate, and focus. Think about how cameras will be positioned in order to offer clear views of critical areas and maintain employee safety while allowing for easy repositioning if needed. Use adjustable mounts and brackets for versatility.
  3. Think about System Integration: To unlock the full potential of video in a manufacturing environment, integrating your CCTV system with your other systems such as SCADA, MES, or HMI, is key. Real-time video feeds from the CCTV system can provide visual context to the data collected by these systems. This enhanced situational awareness allows operators and decision-makers to have a comprehensive view of the manufacturing process, accurately understand what’s happening with processes, and respond to issues faster.
  4. Carefully Plan Your Network Infrastructure: Building a robust network infrastructure that can handle the data load from multiple cameras is critical — particularly with large camera networks. High-speed, reliable network connections are essential for real-time monitoring and data transmission.
  5. Prioritize Data Security: The security of sensitive manufacturing data captured by video cameras is paramount. Implement secure protocols to restrict access and protect the integrity and confidentiality of captured footage. Data security is especially critical in the era of Industry 4.0 where cyber threats pose potential risks to industrial networks.
  6. Don’t Forget about Data Storage and Backups: Maintaining adequate data storage and backups is essential for ensuring regulatory compliance, supporting investigations, and preventing data loss. Invest in adequate storage capacity and establish a reliable backup system to ensure that critical video data is protected and accessible when needed.

So, are you ready to plan your video system? We’re closing this blog post with one more (bonus!) best practice. Best Practice #7: Be sure to partner with a video company that has a long track record of successfully implementing video CCTV systems in manufacturing environments. Experienced video providers will have a deep understanding of camera technology and video management software, and the technical expertise to ensure your system is designed and implemented correctly from the start.

 

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