EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS More than just routing
The digital transformation has taken off at speed. Whilst a few years ago Industry 4.0 was still just an idea not defined to its completion, that all too often was more of a vision than reality, nowadays it is assuming an ever bigger role in shaping production processes.
F
or many companies working in the wire, cable and tube industries, it has long been the perception that they
can switch to the fast lane with Industry 4.0 and the accompanying digitalisation. The industries have long been able to do more than just routing… The impetus for companies from
the fourth industrial revolution will be considerable over coming years. The German Federal Ministry of Economics expects an additional growth to the economy of €153bn through Industry 4.0 by
2020. According to the Ministry, the planned annual investments in Industry 4.0 applications is to total €40bn by this time. And German companies have for a long time been in no doubt that the future will belong to the Smart Factory - 83% for instance will be seeing a high level of digitalisation of their value-added chains by 2020.
Enormous potential For Germany as a location, the growth offers enormous potential. Around 15 million jobs depend directly and indirectly on the manufacturing industry. “With digitalisation of the industry, it will not only be value-add processes that will change, new business models and new perspectives for employees will also arise”, explains the German Federal Ministry of Economics. Intelligent, digital production processes would offer large opportunities to small and medium-sized companies in particular.
Opportunities that should be
seized upon. The transition to Smart Factory is affecting virtually all sectors – and the end is still a long way off. “Digitalisation and Industry 4.0 are key challenges for us, that will also bring about deep-
24 IMT June 2019
rooted changes in the pipe and wire industries”, emphasises the SMS Group.
Intelligent technology Making enormous data volumes useful – this maxim is also being realised by Leoni. “In LEONiQ, we have developed an intelligent cable technology that is capable of recording and analysing a wide range of parameters throughout any kind of cable system”, explains the company. This technology therefore makes it possible to draw conclusions about the condition of the overall system, and its control, and provides recommendations for future development cycles. “This new key technology will make energy and data streams more efficient, more reliable and more available”, explains Leoni. For the first time, not only the networked devices become intelligent – also the networking itself. Even at an early stage in
development, we use digital functional simulation to design cable solutions that best fit the respective application. If potential problems are identified in the development stage, a monitoring function can be integrated by means of sensor systems and
electronics along the cable. “Various parameters, including temperature, density, mechanical stress and GPS location, are recorded continually, analysed in the Cloud using algorithms developed in- house, and then made available to customers in the form of a dashboard”, explains Leoni. This enables a series of smart services including early warning systems, active system control and pin-point recommendations for action. This effectively gives 100% transparency across all installed cable systems, anywhere in the world and for any application.
Digital smelting works The SMS Group has also realised projects that show how networked systems, self-learning process models, intelligent assistance systems, artificial intelligence and virtual reality are already “revolutionising and strengthening competitiveness of customers on the global market” in design, production and maintenance at steel and rolling mills. The digital smelting works is already reality. Artificial intelligence is able
to detect unknown correlations between different input parameters, and thereby to
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detect interference factors early on, explains SMS. “This means measures can be initiated and financial losses limited.” It was ascertained in one case for example that the strip temperatures on the coil occasionally, and suddenly, differed greatly from the setpoint value. “Given that such temperature deviations deteriorate the material properties of the coils, there was automatic cooling water adjustment of the water volume that reduced the difference between target and setpoint temperatures”. Nevertheless, the temperatures for the strips produced before meant these strips had to be devalued. Together with the Jacobs
University however, the SMS Group developed the X-Pact® Performance Enrichment Analysis – a method with artificial intelligence. With it, the unexpected correlation between a faulty work roll in a roll stand and the temperature differences in the cooling system could be verified precisely – indeed more clearly and effectively than with a standard analysis. “When the Performance Enrichment Analysis module is active, many potential fault scenarios can be monitored simultaneously.”
4.0-capable communication Transfluid Maschinenbau too have had their eye on Industry 4.0 for some time. “In line with our customer base, we are converting our products gradually to 4.0-capable communication and are offering if requested by customers corresponding downstream software that is able to read and process parameters used in the process”, says Benedikt Hümmler, Managing Director of Design/Production at the manufacturer of tube bending
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