FEATURE SMART FACTORIES
SMART FACTORY TECHNOLOGY gaining traction to power the I4.0 revolution
With Industry 4.0, the boundaries of the different levels shift from what is currently in place. The field level remains a dedicated layer, but the devices on it will incorporate more and more intelligence including smart sensors that are able to perform many processes autonomously.
Smart Factories are
looking to get a lot smarter, more flexible and dynamic, so networks need to respond to these goals"
Many of the efforts to develop IoT by Manuel Finotto, business development manager IoT, EMEA M
any areas of the industrial sector are undergoing transformation as
robots, vehicles and control systems connect to the Internet. This networking trend is enabling unprecedented levels of automation, not only at the factory level, but in all business processes. The term 'networking' can cover
different levels of communication; each with different needs. As a result, different levels can use a specific, often tailored network, based on requirements such as volume, transmission, security, and determinism of data. Based on functionality, industrial communications networks can be classified into three general levels: field/device level (sensors, electrical drives, etc.), control level (PLCs, motion controllers, etc.) and process/company level (SCADA, ERP, etc.). The advent of the IoT and Industry
4.0 has added the ‘cloud’ to the networking landscape. Remote, secure, yet easily available data in the cloud supports a possible widespread future for highly automated companies; one that is already becoming a necessary prerequisite for companies that want to be competitive and efficient in an increasingly challenging market. One of the critical elements lies in the
speed with which changes are taking place. The evolution of fieldbus provides a good example. The adoption of fieldbuses compared to traditional, analog interfaces took several years to
12 SEPTEMBER 2018 | FACTORY EQUIPMENT
be accepted as a new standard. In fact, there are still companies that 'prefer' the old way of doing things. We are now moving on to the adoption of real- time Ethernet buses, but at a seemingly higher speed than the previous step. Many new and exciting technologies
are now available and the union between the IT and industrial automation worlds is taking place. This is giving rise to scenarios unattainable until a few years ago. Networking, in its broadest sense, is the enabling element of the new industrial revolution.
COMMUNICATION There are different levels of communication and each requires different hardware and software features. Smart Factories are looking to get a lot smarter, more flexible and dynamic, so networks need to respond to these goals. The high performance and reliable communication technologies that are entering the market will outperform those currently in use. These technologies will make it possible to transfer large amounts of data in real time or with minimal delay, connect a large number of individual devices in a very reliable way and with the highest data security standards. Increasingly, wireless technologies are being used more and more; both within the plant and for remote connectivity. In order to achieve the potential of
modern networks, all levels of communication need to be involved.
In order to achieve the potential of modern networks, all levels of communication need to be involved
platforms have focused on the Enterprise level with a top-down approach. Although this level is indispensable, it actually only collects about 10 per cent of the available data, limiting the ability to support predictive maintenance and component performance optimisation. Unless a discrete IoT system is used for the remaining 90 per cent of critical component data, enterprise systems cannot exploit their potential to truly transform business activities. Discrete IoT systems can provide immediate value regardless of enterprise level systems, while supporting their long- term objectives. With its centralised strategy, coined
‘Voice of the Machine’, Parker is an example of a company developing and implementing its own IoT solution that supports extensive autonomous monitoring and control. The strategy comprises hardware including smart sensors and IO-Link, plus a common set of standards, principles and best practices. From a technological perspective,
companies such as Parker have focused efforts on minimising the challenges that have prevented industry operators from exploiting the IoT to solve operational problems, such as downtime, predictive maintenance and maintenance time itself. Although the IoT can still be considered to be in its relative infancy, the technology has reached a point of evolution that can provide significant value in many industrial applications.
Above: Manuel Finotto, business development manager IoT, EMEA
Parker Hannifin
www.parker.com T: 01925 317878
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