INDUSTRY 4.0/IIOT FEATURE MAKING A CONNECTION


Jeremy Shinton, Edge Computing product manager at Mitsubishi Electric, looks at how to implement a digital strategy


T


he latest digital manufacturing trends are aimed at connecting physical and virtual factory environments to boost productivity, efficiency and


profitability. To successfully bridge these two worlds, businesses need to combine a number of technologies on the road to digital transformation. Advances in aggregation, analysis and mining of Big Data as well as


Artificial Intelligence (AI), edge computing, industrial automation and networking offer a range of ideal tools to develop accurate digital management, monitoring and control models for machines, systems, processes and other assets. These virtual systems can be used to forecast future equipment


requirements, e.g. for predictive maintenance, or to optimise monitoring and control strategies aimed at improving production processes. In both cases, digital models allow manufacturers to increase plant productivity and efficiency by offering a clear, in-depth process understanding. While it may be tempting to adopt all these innovative technologies and


solutions at once, it is important to plan the implementation in stages. The majority of manufacturing plants have grown, developed and adapted over time as market demands have changed, and as a result, are composed of both old and new equipment with varying degrees of intelligence. Therefore the first step in a company’s digital transformation journey


should be to review its assets and determine where data can be easily and effectively gathered. To develop futureproof automation systems, businesses should design controllable, backward compatible and scalable systems that can be expanded. In this way, they can start installing solutions that suit current processes, while laying the groundwork for future digital migration. For example, to leverage the power of Big Data and Smart Manufacturing,


existing plants need to increase the accessibility and visibility of data collected on the factory floor. This can be achieved by upgrading existing drives and controllers with newer solutions that can collect and transfer information to other machines, networks or data management platforms. Following on from this, another key element of the future of


manufacturing is utilising Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies to optimise operations. For this to work, it is important to bridge the divide between IT and Operational Technology (OT), enabling information to be shared for advanced analytics. The next step is the combining of IT and OT by implementing automation products that can process data at the edge. Edge computing provides a secure solution that has the benefit of near real- time processing with AI and Advanced Analytics (AA) capability. To achieve this step-by-step approach, it is important to partner with an


automation specialist with experience in factory automation technology. In this way, a roadmap of suitable and scalable solutions that will deliver a rapid Return On Investment (ROI) as well as clear technical benefits for the intended application can be developed. Furthermore, continuous support and assistance can be offered throughout the entire digitalisation process. Mitsubishi Electric and its UK integration partners have a proven track


record of helping manufacturing businesses with digital transformation and migration strategies. The company’s solutions for edge computing are also helping manufacturers to process data, effectively integrating IT and OT. Furthermore, Mitsubishi Electric’s condition monitoring and smart maintenance tools utilise equipment data to create accurate and precise models aimed at optimising predictive maintenance activities.


Mitsubishi Electric gb3a@mitsubishielectric.com %#')& ((&)"$')!


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