In today's rapidly developing Industrial 4.0 era, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has become an important force driving the transformation and upgrading of manufacturing. It not only enhances production efficiency but also promotes the rational utilization of resources, providing strong support for the realization of green manufacturing. Edge acquisition gateways, as a crucial component of IIoT, have a profound impact on green manufacturing, particularly through their low-power design. This article will delve into the principles of edge acquisition gateways, the advantages of low-power design, and their applications in green manufacturing.

1. Principles of Edge Acquisition Gateways

Edge acquisition gateways serve as a bridge between the physical and digital worlds. They connect to external devices (such as sensors and PLCs) through specific communication protocols to collect data from these devices in real-time. The collected data undergoes preliminary processing and integration within the gateway, forming valuable information that is then reported to the cloud or central server according to preset rules. During this process, the gateway also possesses edge computing capabilities, enabling simple data calculation and analysis locally to reduce the pressure on cloud servers and improve data processing efficiency.

2. Advantages of Low-Power Design

As manufacturing industries increasingly prioritize energy conservation and emission reduction, low-power design has become an important development direction for edge acquisition gateways. Low-power design not only helps reduce energy consumption and operational costs but also mitigates thermal effects, enhancing system stability and reliability. Specifically, the advantages of low-power design are manifested in the following aspects:

• Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction: By optimizing hardware design and software algorithms, the power consumption of gateways is reduced, thereby minimizing energy consumption. This helps enterprises achieve energy conservation and emission reduction targets, lowering production costs, and improving economic benefits.

• Improved System Stability: Low-power design reduces the heat generation during gateway operation, lowering the risk of system failures caused by overheating. Additionally, lower power consumption contributes to extending the gateway's lifespan.

• Promotion of Green Manufacturing: Low-power design is a vital component of green manufacturing. By adopting low-power edge acquisition gateways, enterprises can reduce energy consumption and waste emissions during production, promoting a greener and lower-carbon manufacturing industry.

3. Applications of Edge Acquisition Gateways in Green Manufacturing

Edge acquisition gateways play a significant role in green manufacturing. By monitoring and collecting data from production equipment in real-time, they provide powerful support for enterprises in energy conservation, emission reduction, and resource recycling. Specifically, the applications of edge acquisition gateways in green manufacturing are mainly reflected in the following aspects:

• Energy Consumption Monitoring: Edge acquisition gateways can monitor the energy consumption of production equipment in real-time, including electricity, water, and gas. Through data analysis, enterprises can identify bottlenecks and wastage points in energy consumption, thereby formulating targeted energy-saving measures.

• Intelligent Equipment Control: Edge acquisition gateways enable intelligent control of equipment, automatically adjusting its operating state based on production demands. This helps avoid unnecessary energy consumption and waste generation, improving energy utilization efficiency.

• Resource Recycling: Edge acquisition gateways can also facilitate intelligent management of resource recycling. By monitoring and collecting data from waste processing equipment, enterprises can optimize waste processing processes, enhancing resource utilization and added value.

4. Case Study: Practice of Edge Acquisition Gateways in Green Manufacturing

Taking a manufacturing enterprise as an example, the enterprise introduced low-power edge acquisition gateways to monitor and collect data from equipment on the production line in real-time. Through data analysis, the enterprise discovered abnormally high energy consumption in a piece of equipment, which was later found to be due to aging. The enterprise promptly replaced the equipment, thereby avoiding energy waste. Simultaneously, the enterprise utilized edge acquisition gateways to achieve intelligent control of equipment, automatically adjusting its operating state based on production demands, effectively reducing energy consumption and emissions. Furthermore, the enterprise employed edge acquisition gateways for intelligent management of waste processing equipment, improving resource utilization and added value.

Low-power edge acquisition gateways play a crucial role in green manufacturing. They not only help enterprises achieve energy conservation, emission reduction, and resource recycling targets but also enhance system stability and reliability, lowering operational costs. As manufacturing industries increasingly prioritize green, low-carbon, and sustainable development, low-power edge acquisition gateways will become one of the important directions for future IIoT development.