Heiko Luckhaupt, Industrial Purchasing Manager at RS Components, has explored some simple ways for automation and processing companies to capitalize on the benefits of the Industry 4.0 manufacturing revolution.
Industry 4.0 is the name of a vision for a new generation of manufacturing processes and the realization of “smart factories.” The name originates from Germany – it was named after a project led by the German government, bringing together major academic research institutions and industrial companies such as Siemens, and is essentially part of the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT). It largely stems from the idea of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which builds upon and develops upon the first three: in the 18th century, steam power was widely adopted for manual labor; in the early 20th century, electricity was applied to production lines and mass production; and even today, information technology is applied to automated production processes, thanks to the digital revolution that emerged at the end of the last century. Technological revolutions inevitably lead to a series of changes several years later; therefore, the vision of Industry 4.0 will become a reality in the next few years or even decades.
Combinatorial concept
This vision encompasses numerous concepts, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), smart sensors, cyber-physical systems (CPS), wireless and machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, and big data and cloud computing. Connecting manufacturing equipment to IP-based networks allows all these concepts to converge, significantly improving productivity, production quality, and flexibility in manufacturing. Factories, machines, raw materials, and products will all be interconnected—becoming truly intelligent connected assets—forming collaborative control that enables highly flexible, personalized, large-scale production with minimal human intervention, i.e., single-person operation. Importantly, sensor, environmental, and operational data can be uploaded in massive volumes to the cloud, whether public, private, or some form of hybrid cloud. In the cloud, IT systems running advanced software analytics can enable automated decision-making, transmitting data to applications such as predictive maintenance and adaptive analytics to adjust drive and motor controls, thereby improving operational efficiency.
Furthermore, over time, the ordering/purchasing and inventory systems can be linked to automatically replenish materials, parts, and other necessary manufacturing resources to continue production for the next few weeks or months. RS has established e-commerce infrastructure to fully embrace this change, through which customers can automatically place orders with distributors. In a further envisioned scenario, customers could also automatically place orders with distributors' suppliers, in turn replenishing the distributors' inventory.
Traditional problem challenge
However, this also presents some significant challenges. Today, due to years of use, equipment in industrial automation and production processes suffers from legacy system and communication infrastructure issues. This significantly hinders the automation industry from fully leveraging the capabilities, benefits, and opportunities of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). The cost of rebuilding entirely new smart connected devices and systems, as well as overhauling entire industrial processes, is prohibitive, or at least impractical, for many businesses.
However, automation companies can leverage the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in two simple ways. Most importantly, neither involves significant capital expenditure or redesigning complex existing systems. The basic premise is to transform manufacturing processes by significantly increasing connectivity between key components and systems. Companies can leverage the latest PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) technology or, by introducing additional equipment, integrate their existing legacy network infrastructure into modern IP-based communication systems, achieving simple system enhancements.
Upgrade System
The first approach, for equipment adopting new products and technologies, is the simplest way to upgrade the system: replacing old or damaged components within the equipment. This depends on the specific industrial system and its maintenance cycle. For replacing the PLC, there are many other options, such as replacing the Siemens S7-200 system with a Siemens SIMATIC S7-1200 system with an Ethernet interface. In this case, the replacement process has complete restore compatibility, and the previous system does not require changes to its program code. The S7-1200 system is available in five different customized models, each of which can be expanded to include one signal board or communication board, eight signal modules, and up to three communication modules, depending on machine requirements.
However, if this method is not applicable, or the target application's PLC lacks an Ethernet interface, there are other ways to bring traditional systems into modern communication environments. Adapters can be used to convert serial and I/O signals into Ethernet data; for example, the Brainboxes ED-204 Ethernet transceiver can be used. This device combines a two-port Ethernet switch, an Ethernet-to-RS-232 interface, and an Ethernet-to-four-channel digital I/O, making it a perfect choice for connecting PLCs to PC-based data acquisition and analysis solutions. The company's ED series of remote I/O devices typically allow control via Ethernet digital/analog I/O, relays, thermocouples, and some traditional industrial sensors.
monitor
Associated with this solution is the integration of PCs into the environment, which can significantly leverage the capabilities of PLCs with limited computing and sequencing capabilities, such as analyzing or preparing CNC machine tools for operation. Using CAD/CAM applications allows the PC to calculate machine details, inputting long sequences of precise instructions to further optimize the production line. Furthermore, production lines embedded in a wider PC network will greatly benefit from software supporting production planning, tracking, tracing, and scheduling. A specific industrial PC chosen is the Schneider Electric Magelis SCU HMI Control Starter Kit, a touchscreen PC with Ethernet connectivity.
However, if introducing new PCs or industrial monitoring into the environment is not feasible or desirable, there is a brand new, highly innovative solution called groov, an IoT software system from Opto 22. This system is specifically designed for the rapid upgrade of legacy industrial automation systems to enable remote monitoring with minimal changes to existing hardware and/or IT infrastructure. The groov system is a web-based tool that allows the creation of custom control panels, web interfaces, and reporting dashboards, and can communicate with virtually all existing PLCs and industrial equipment, provided they have an Ethernet port. This system enables maintenance engineers and equipment and automation managers to remotely monitor virtually any automation system or industrial equipment, for example, on iOS or Android smartphones or tablets via a web connection and an app or browser. The groov hardware box is also required; it interacts with legacy Ethernet PLCs, is specifically designed for smart factories, and eliminates the need for a field PC, making it ideal for remote facilities and sites with low-level IT equipment or infrastructure.
Summarize
In short, there are numerous options and methods to connect industrial automation and production processes to the modern world of communications and the Internet of Things. Distributors like RS offer a very wide range of products and technologies, guiding automation companies toward the next generation of factories and realizing the Industry 4.0 vision.
