FEATURE Smart factories and AI
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Enhancing manufacturing security through innovative troubleshooting
Ryan Guthrie, Vice President at TM Robotics, distribution partner of Shibaura Machine, explains how advanced robot controllers can provide enhanced troubleshooting in smart factory settings whilst prioritising data security
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increasing frequency of cyberattacks against smart
40% of the surveyed organisations with 73% of incidents occurring in the last 12 months. The report concluded that it is critical for organisations to ensure that cybersecurity is prioritised at their smart factories.
Industry-4.0-assisted troubleshooting and maintenance in factories, also known as Maintenance 4.0, presents a paradox. On the one hand, maintenance managers have an onus to deploy Maintenance 4.0 wherever they can, to reduce machine downtime and increase factory output by accurately predicting machine failures. On the other hand, new cybersecurity concerns will be introduced due to the plant’s interconnectivity. This paradox is matched by real-world
manufacturers now restrict the presence of external devices, like laptops, on This is an obstacle for maintenance engineers, who previously relied on the ability to wheel over a trolley to an
The TP5000 teach pendant is designed to complement the TS5000 controller
Shibaura Machine has integrated a SD-copy function into its TS5000 robot controller
industrial robot and then troubleshoot through a PC or a laptop. How can maintenance engineers
grow their Maintenance 4.0 systems, whilst also guarding against the cyberthreats posed by a broadened attack surface? Fortunately, a solution lies in troubleshooting that avoids traditional PC-based methods but uses Secure Digital (SD) memory cards instead.
SD memory cards Most are familiar with SD memory cards, since they’ve been around for many years in digital cameras and other consumer devices, for data storage and transfer. However, these small and secure plastic cartridges are also highly suitable for industrial environments, too, which includes rapidly cloning robots with When an industrial robot encounters problems, an SD-copy function allows technicians to create a complete duplicate – a clone – of the robot’s data. This is as simple as removing an SD card from one robot or controller and
32 June 2024 | Automation
placing it into another, transferring all of the robot’s programs, parameters, settings and software within seconds. The increasing popularity of SD memory cards complements another growing strategy among manufacturers: using multiple machines with the same advantage here is that manufacturers can easily swap one robot for another if a unit malfunctions or fails. When during shifts with limited training or support, the malfunctioning robot can be quickly replaced with a spare. This allows production to continue seamlessly, whilst the troubleshooting process is conducted avoid disruptions to productivity. Because of these advantages, TM Robotics, as the distribution partner of Shibaura Machine, has embraced SD cards as a simple yet powerful, PC-free solution for robot troubleshooting. Shibaura Machine has integrated a SD-copy function into its TS5000 robot controller. The controller itself is designed to support precise movements robots. With this SD-copy feature, the TS5000 now allows an even more rapid and complete transfer of programs and settings between robots.
automationmagazine.co.uk
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