INDUSTRY 4.0 | CONTROL
can be retrofitted to existing machines. Another innovative sensor from the extruder manufacturer is a patented RFID chip that can be embedded into screw shafts to collect data about the work the screw has done using a “load factor” based on torque, pressure, and recipe. When the screw is changed, the extruder control system can read this load factor and identify whether mainte- nance or replacement is needed. “This technology was originally developed for pharmaceutical and medical applications, which require extensive documentation,” explains Wolf. However, he says it could also prove beneficial for some plastics compounding extruders.
Industry 4.0 barriers The growing awareness of Industry 4.0 capabilities and their benefits is leading to increased interest in the compounding industry. “Some of the measure- ment and control tools have been available for some time but there were few drivers for imple- mentation in compounding. Now, companies are beginning to see the advantages and their custom- ers are also asking them what they are doing in Industry 4.0,” says Wolf.
However, there are challenges to be addressed.
Standard interfaces that enable machines to communicate with each other are needed. OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) from the OPC Foundation is a platform-independent standard that many groups, including the Euromap Euro- pean plastics and rubber machinery organisation and the German machinery association VDMA, are using for hardware interfaces. Cybersecurity is also a legitimate concern, and
Above: There are still data protection and security issues to be ad- dressed within the highly connected Industry 4.0 environment
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plastics@struktol.com
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
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