FEATURE COMMUNICATIONS & NETWORKS From shop floor to top floor
As Karl Walker, automation marketing manager at Omron explains, integration of equipment control systems into high level enterprise management software is simpler than ever
T
he list of reasons why manufacturers should integrate individual line and
equipment control systems into high level enterprise management software is growing. And, as the case becomes more compelling, the technological ‘wizardry’ to make it happen is not only solid fact (rather than science fiction), it is faster, simpler and more ‘intelligent’ than ever. As every line manager knows, the trend
for manufacturers to monitor operational efficiency in order to optimise profit has been rumbling onwards ever more loudly. However, through increasing regulatory and customer pressure, sectors such as pharmaceuticals, food and automotive have been compelled to log process critical data in ever finer detail and in ways which are fully traceable. The days of ‘pen and paper’ data collection therefore, are a distant memory. In addition, some of the slower ways of electronically logging information are giving way to much faster, real time collection and processing. The Food & Drug Administration’s
(FDA’s) CFR21 part 11 directive for the pharmaceuticals sector, for example, is now well established, and foresees the collection and storage of production data without the possibility of human intervention. Even in non-critical applications, ad-hoc data collection systems are susceptible to omissions and errors. At the same time, the retrieval of data from traditional modes of storage is at best, unreliable.
OCR OR OCV Take the example of optical character recognition (OCR) or verification (OCV) in a pharmaceutical application. A modern vision system such as Omron’s FH is capable of processing a product every 30ms or so. However, this capability is matched by an expectation that the system will compare inspected data with externally stored reference data, securely log it and allow instant access, if required. This poses problems for a traditional
20 NOVEMBER 2014 | AUTOMATION
Above: Karl Walker, automation marketing manager, Omron
PLC-based collection method, where data is stored to temporary areas such as internal memory or a removable media card. Typically, this data is ‘dumped’ periodically to (or extracted by) an external storage location such as a network server or database, often using a SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) package as the ‘middle man’. In doing this, any real time element is lost, along with the ability to query or instantly retrieve historically stored data. So, if traditional SCADA middleware is falling short, what is the solution? The answer lies in a combination of much faster communications
(we are talking sub-millisecond speeds)
and local control systems which allow this direct, two way dialogue with enterprise level relational databases to take place.
Above: going up a level - automation meets the IT world
Below: Sysmac NJ direct database connectivity
INDUSTRY 4.0 There has been much written in the press about Industry 4.0, a futuristic, completely connected industrial world, where all components are not only ‘aware’ of each other but can communicate in real time. Well, that future is already, slowly, becoming a reality. Ethernet-based networks such as EtherCAT allow every part of an automation system to exchange information at speeds that were undreamt of in the past. This gives the controller instant access to every detail of production information. Once this controller is also connected to the enterprise level - enterprise resource
planning (ERP), manufacturing resource planning (MRP) or manufacturing execution systems (MES), for example - we can start to see the ‘Industry 4.0’ vision being realised. Ultimately, this means integrating the manufacturer’s own customers and business partners into the production process - not just locally but globally. To make this vision a reality, the
controller hardware must be able to connect directly onto the same networks as the databases which form the backbone of each enterprise level system. As we have seen, up to now, additional hardware modules or SCADA middleware have been the enabler for this, but have also introduced bottlenecks into the process, losing the real time aspect of data exchange. In addition, inserting this intermediate level into communications introduces an element of risk, with requirements for maintenance, system updates and constant vulnerability to viruses. It has been said not only that ‘SCADA
is dead’ but also that ‘the PLC is dead’. Some may greet these pronouncements and the much heralded arrival of Industry 4.0 with the same level of scepticism. However, in many ways, this is a straightforward example of necessity being the mother of invention - industry’s demands are simply outstripping the capabilities of these ‘old’ technologies. Thinking beyond the use of SCADA
involves a shift in mindset and a redefining of the standards of operation. In practical terms, it means that end user IT departments will have to work more closely with engineering to allow shop floor equipment direct access to enterprise level systems without the use of middleware. The solutions allowing real time data exchange already exist. Omron’s NJ501- 1_20 machine automation controller CPUs have this level of functionality embedded. This type of option has become a reality, not only for some of the major international automotive manufacturers, but for smaller businesses in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) segment too. It is only a matter of time before even more brand owners come to realise what this new production philosophy can do for them.
Omron Electronics
www.industrial.omron.co.uk T: 01908 258 253
Enter 207 /AUTOMATION
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