FEATURE Drives, Controls & Motors
Automation platforms can help beat long lead times
Scott Birchall, OEM & Automation Sales Manager at ABB, explains why open communication architectures can help to provide the flexibility needed to circumvent challenges in the logistics industry
R
ecently, a perfect storm of disruptive events and challenges have seen industry global supply chains severely impacted,
with any hope for 2022 returning to some normality dashed. Anything that aff ects the component supply chain will typically have knock-on eff ects downstream, and for OEMs the inability to reliably source components quickly is now a big worry. Indeed, lead times for automation components and critical devices such as PLCs and variable speed drives have risen to levels not seen in decades. Where previously delivery times were typically measured in weeks, now lead times stretch to months and even years. This causes a major headache for automation suppliers, whose profi tability depends on being able to get new machines out the door, and projects completed and invoiced.
This is in part compounded by the nature of automation system design, whereby proprietary systems can end up locking customers into exclusivity with certain manufacturers, or tight specifi cations can severely limit the options that can be explored. As such, when a delivery of components is delayed, this can hold up an entire project, since there will often be no alternative but wait until the right part arrives. OEMs are fi nding themselves having to plan several months or even years ahead, which in turn reduces their ability to respond
20 September 2022 | Automation
quickly to new trends and technologies, and bring new products and systems to market. Previously, automation designers were able to make machines designed for the here and now, based on parts that, if not readily available, could be in hand within a matter of weeks. Now, after two years and counting of global upheaval, designers must consider not just the current setups and demands, but also future trends, with parts not readily available. Building fl exibility into machine design is
therefore of utmost importance, helping to reduce reliance on any one single supplier. Interoperability between components has been gradually increasing over the years, but the pace of change remains slow. ABB is one of a number of automation vendors which uses the CODESYS platform, IEC 61131-3-compliant and manufacturer- independent, which allows automation programs to be ported easily from system to system. In practice, this opens up more options in the event that a part or component suddenly becomes diffi cult to source, as an equivalent part from a diff erent manufacturer can simply be swapped in, without any compatibility issues, and, in many cases, little diff erence in functionality. ABB’s AC500-eCo V3 PLC family, for example, is modular, allowing operators to bolt on as much or as little functionality as needed, depending on the application. Diff erent parts from across the range can be
used with each other and with equipment from other manufacturers, allowing multiple communications simultaneously via MODBUS TCP, Ethernet IP, IEC 61850, IEC 60870, HTML5, OPC UA, MQTT, BACnet and KNX. The PLC’s Automation Builder software is also license-free at entry level. From an OEM’s point of view, this additional fl exibility can potentially result in a much quicker time to market, with less reliance on factors outside of their control. An open architecture means that any component that is diffi cult to get hold of can simply be replaced with a readily available part, without aff ecting the machine’s overall performance.
Building additional resilience and
redundancy into machine design from the outset is generally good practice. With global supply chains showing little sign of returning to business as usual any time soon, it makes sense to insulate oneself as much as possible against potential disruption. Whilst open platforms have been an overall goal for the industry for some time, it seems that now they may have fi nally come into their own as an eff ective way to guard against component shipping delays.
CONTACT:
ABB
www.abb.com/plc
automationmagazine.co.uk
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