June, 2020
www.us-
tech.com The Benefits of Modularity in Industrial Production Continued from previous page
determine the granularity of the division and are also a limiting factor for the connection of building blocks. In modular product design, the interfaces
ensure the coherent and expedient joining of vari- ous parts. At the same time, they must guarantee the proper functioning of the entire system — a single compact machine, as well as an entire pro- duction line.
Drawing Boundaries To begin with, the initial system should be
considered in terms of its functions. These include: key functions, which reflect the core competence of the OEM; basic functions, such as carriers or transports that extend across the entire system; and addon or auxiliary functions, which are more in line with the general state of the art and are of secondary importance to the OEM. A certain amount of over-engineering in the machine modules, where the core competen- cies are concerned, is always an advantage. Then, the functions should be
organized into modules, but only as granularly as necessary. All aspects of possible optimization effects and changes to equipment should be fac- tored in — both for the manufacturer and the user. It is also important to include as many stages of service pro- vision along the machine lifecycle, as well as country-specific features, as possible. For all elements of the machine
that cannot be separated further, such as sensors, actuators, HMIs, drive, etc., and that require power, signal or data connections should: display the functional relevance for the newly defined machine graphical- ly; be assigned to a corresponding layer of a typical automation pyra- mid; and have all necessary inter- faces for the connection of each ele- ment assigned to the respective machine modules and listed. This will result in a matrix view
with all the modules of the system. The hierarchical arrangement of the elements with associated interfaces, including relevance for one or more machine modules is also visible. This approach provides a basis
for the evaluation of feasibility, tech- nical risks and the required design of interfaces. Transparency is gained by weighing the importance of the mod- ules for the future system. Based on the list, all fractions involved, as well as further specifications and steps for module and process development can be derived. This matrix view also helps in
deciding to what extent the control of a modular machine or plant should be designed centrally or decentrally. Systems with a high degree of equip- ment variability in their key func- tions and those that take up a large amount of space are generally equipped with decentralized I/O sys- tems. Combined structures are more effective for smaller, highly variable systems. In these systems, the basic control of key functions is centralized and additional functions are con- trolled either centrally or decentral- ly, depending on their complexity. In the case of smaller or simpler
systems with low variability, a pure- ly central control system is more cost effective.
Defining Structure When deciding on a structure,
central systems generally entail lower costs for components or materi-
HARTING’s Smart Factory “HAII4YOU” pilot and demonstration plant.
als. By contrast, however, this increases the costs and resources required for both production and installation at the end customer. Enhancements and retrofits can also be more time-consuming and cost-intensive, while the same applies to service and maintenance. All modern control, drive and HMI systems
enable the complete separation of the physical level from the logical levels. This applies both to particularly fast and precise sequences, as well as to highly sensitive safety-relevant or interlinked systems. This virtually absolute freedom afforded by
the modularization of production systems is deci- sively characterized and influenced by the inter- faces. HARTING provides solutions and products for all types of power signal or data interfaces that: can always be designed to meet the necessary
Continued on page 55
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