From AMQP through Blockchain and Hadoop to Zigbee - Just what do these terms mean?

Don't be confused and befuddled by the changing terminology of Industry

The year 2021 was a pivotable one in the world of manufacturing! The Covid 19 vaccinations are rolling out across the world. A sense of optimism started to take hold hold that life will return to “normal” within the following months. After a few stops and starts a normality of sorts has returned.

Nevertheless global supply chains appear more fragile than ever before. A towering cargo ship, as long as the Empire State Building is high, blocked the Suez Canal, stopping traffic in both directions. Estimates are that the cost of interrupted trade was $10 billion (€9.80 b) per day. A worldwide shortage of semiconductor chips is still effecting automotive manufacturers everywhere – production has thus slowed down. Several new variations of Covid-19 appeared to jolt the optimism but nonetheless face-to-face event have returned. In China particularly the policy of "zero-Covid" has also created supply problems.

And then in February the disastrous invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated manufacturing not to mention ordinary living with inflation being pushed to unseen levels since the 1980s. It has also led (especially in Europe) to a speedier planning for, and adoption of more green friendly energy generation.

The decision of Great Britain to exit the European Union is another game changer the effects of which are still largely unknown especially in the area of technical and manufacturing standards.

All these events are accelerating the re-shoring movement to locate manufacturing close to to customers. Smart Manufacturing, sometimes called Industry 4.0, promises customized products created with less waste. New business models and new smart products further change and create opportunities for those with bold visions.

We are all learning new aspects of manufacturing and communications not to mention cybersecurity. Frequently we are confronted with terms and acronyms and sometimes we are unsure what these mean or signify.

"Smart Manufacturing Terms You Need to Know!"* is recent publication available in paper or e-format.  Smart Manufacturing incorporates terms from the telecom, consumer electronics, and other industries onto the plant floor and even seasoned professionals are wondering "what does it all mean?". Compiled by Mike Nager, a noted Control & Automation Engineer, this useful compendium should serve as a reference to Smart Manufacturing's terminology. Many terms that predate the concept of Industry 4.0 but are still crucial to enabling it. And then there are the "new" terms. These are accompanied with useful illustrations. 

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 * “Smart Manufacturing Terms You Need to Know!” - Mark Nager; An Industrial Insights Publication.

@Mike_Nager #PAuto #Jargon

Compact and reliable signal, power, and grounding connectivity.

TheDP2.5SG sensor/actuator terminal block family has been announced by Dinkle International. These provide adaptable cable connectivity options for a variety of automation needs.

A modular design based around DP2.5SG terminal blocks—single-level pass-through type mountable on a standard DIN rail—provides flexible installation options for a variety of applications. Additional components are available to add easily recognizable color-coded distribution of positive (red) and negative (blue) power, and ground earth potential (green/yellow) connections as needed. An optional pluggable terminal block is available for even more convenient factory-to-field wiring installation.

The resulting assembly provides the advantage of compactly combining all signal connections for sensors and actuators requiring two-wire, three-wire, and four-wire installation, while saving up to 75% of panel space over traditional multi-terminal installations.

Contact materials are tin plated copper alloy, using push-in design (PID) for reliable wire terminations over an operating temperature range of -40 to +115 DegC. Exclusive PID connectivity enables tool-free insertion of solid wires, stranded wires, or ferrules, saving up to 60% of the wiring time compared to screw-based methods.

The signal terminal blocks carry a UL rating of 600V and 20A, accepting wires ranging from 26 to 12AWG; power distribution terminal blocks are rated for 300V and 10A, with wires ranging from 26 to 14AWG.

Each terminal block is 5.08mm wide, available individually or in preinstalled kits of 4, 8, 14, 18, and 24 poles. The components are UL recognized, ROHS and REACH compliant, and carry the CE marking.

All Dinkle connector products support the Industry 4.0 trend by helping users create solutions for connecting power, networking, and communications to support increasingly complex equipment and automation solutions in all types of environments.

#DinkleInternational #PAuto #Connectors #Industrie4

Headline sponsor announced!

The Industry 4.0 Summit & Expo has announced that Bosch Rexroth are headline sponsor for the 4th year in a row.

The Industry 4.0 Summit & Expo takes place at the Manchester Central Convention Complex (GB)  31 March – 1 April 2020.

Since the event’s launch in 2017, the Industry 4.0 Summit & Expo has attracted 1000s of visitors across the British manufacturing spectrum looking to improve their manufacturing operations by using the latest smart technologies.

As one of the world’s leading factory automation companies and a recognised leader in industry 4.0, Bosch Rexroth’s commitment to the event is a testament of the opportunities that smart technologies can bring to British manufacturing in this age of the 4th industrial revolution.

Bosch Rexroth’s UK Marketing Manager Sean Kilgallen says “We are glad to be back as a headline sponsor. We have managed to secure a number of high-value sales leads & contracts on the strength of our brand association with industry 4.0 & the event, and also by meeting many important senior manufacturing executives at the show. We look forward to another successful partnership and meeting more companies keen on making their manufacturing smarter.”

Event Organiser Gary Gilmour added “We have been very lucky to have the support of a company like Bosch Rexroth who have supported us from day one. It really is a huge boost that they are supporting once again, and have secured substantial return on investment each year. We will be working tirelessly to make the next event bigger & better and attract many more visitors eager to make their manufacturing smarter.”

#PAuto #Industrie4 #industry40 @BoschRexroth @Industry_4 #Britain

Digitally retrofitting plastic injection moulding controls.

Digitally retrofitting real-time production monitoring to plastic injection moulding manufacturing lines: benefits include better productivity, cost savings and extended machine lifetimes.

One of the key issues facing today’s manufacturing industry is how to improve the productivity of existing production lines for minimum cost outlay. This article demonstrates how a “digital retrofit” of integrating additional intelligent devices and sensor technology into a well-established production line of plastics injection moulding machines can help to achieve these objectives.

Introduction
An important element of Industry 4.0 is the ability to apply digitalisation to the production environment by adding more intelligence into the existing process. Initially manufacturers have been wary of Industry 4.0, on the assumption that effective implementation would require expensive major changes to production lines. However, through a digital retrofit approach, it is possible to “smarten” up existing processes for minimal cost over a short period of time, resulting in a fast return on investment and immediate productivity gains.

Digital retrofit provides four different ways to improve production processes, increase cost savings and extend the lifetime of different types of machinery:
Legacy machine protocol conversion;
Condition monitoring
Energy measurement
Asset management and
Predictive maintenance.

Legacy machine protocol conversion
Central machine monitoring and process optimisation offer the best way to ensure that production lines and their associated constituent parts operate more effectively and economically. Many machines in well-established production lines, which may be between 15 and 30 years old, can still perform their main functional tasks successfully. However, they do so much less efficiently than their modern-day counterparts. For example, they do not have the same level of computing power, enough memory capacity to record and store relevant data, or the ability to communicate with their modern equivalents. In many cases, these machines also use data formats and operating communication language protocols from the 1980s and 1990s, which are no longer used by today’s PLCs and industrial PCs.

A prime example of a production environment that accommodates mixed protocol legacy machines would be a plastics injection moulding machine (PIMM) line. Such machines, when well maintained, can attain as much as a 30-year operational life. However, some of the older software protocol operating languages (e.g. EUROMAP 15), cannot be directly connected to a factory MES (Manufacturing Execution System) without expensive annual custom software licensing charges. In a lot of factories these machines still require individual programming by an operator, which can be very time consuming for reasonably large installations and therefore potentially requiring input from multiple personnel.

An MES keeps track of all manufacturing information in real time, receiving up-to-the-minute data from robots, machine monitors and employees. Although manufacturing execution systems used to operate as self-contained systems, they are increasingly being integrated with enterprise resource planning (ERP) software suites. The goal of a manufacturing execution system is to improve productivity whilst reducing cycle-time and the total time required to produce an order.

Harting, a world leader in Connectivity & Networks solutions, now offers a new innovative solution to these challenges. MICA (Modular Industrial Computing Architecture) is an edge computing device in the form of a digitally retrofittable IP67 package with Linux-based open-source software. Its modular software and hardware architectural design platform permits the user to choose the programming language and development environment they are most familiar with. In addition, MICA is rugged, compact and maintenance-free, meaning it is suitable for use in the harshest industrial environments.

For the PIMM specific plastic moulding component manufacturing environment, Harting has developed the “MICA EUROMAP 15” variant, which converts the legacy EUROMAP 15 TCP/IP machine operating communications protocol into OPC UA for example, via an intermediate JSON software format. In addition it offers the potential to provide IIoT web enablement and access to “Cloud” services for Big Data analysis or virtualisation, via an optional downloadable MQTT container. As a result, the “MICA EUROMAP 15” provides a customisable interface to the plant MES/ERP, configurable with any specific operational software. By digitally retrofitting a “MICA EUROMAP 15” in this way, the user can also eliminate expensive custom “MES” access software licensing charges. Of course you are also able to integrate the legacy machines for a fraction of the cost of installing a new state-of-the-art protocol operating machine.

By integrating IIoT/MES accessing edge computing devices directly with legacy machines across its own in-house production injection moulding lines, Harting has proved that a return-on-investment payback period of 6-12 months can be achieved. Machine process parameters can now be remotely monitored and modified more quickly via centralised factory control stations, reducing downtime and enabling manpower to be much more effectively employed. Machine operators could even monitor and affect the process of the production line from off-site, via a smartphone or suitable tablet device.
In the near future Harting will also be releasing a PIMM specific “MICA EUROMAP 63” variant that provides a similar solution approach for the more up-to-date EUROMAP 63 protocol based machines.

Condition monitoring / Energy measurement
Additional real-time condition monitoring of legacy machine key operating processes can help to reduce downtime and extend lifetime, thus achieving manufacturing productivity improvements. This can be accomplished by digitally retrofitting additional stand-alone MICA devices to store, analyse and process data from existing or extra retrofitted sensors. As a result, tasks such as monitoring pressure, temperature and flow rates becomes easy, whilst allowing remote centralised process control adjustment via the MES network. Communication with the machine fitted sensors is achieved via a simple Ethernet switch and interlinked active I/O blocks. Either a “MICA Basic” or “MICA Energy” can act as a suitable device in these circumstances.

Asset management

A MICA RFID variant converts the MICA device into a specific RFID Reader, which, when used in conjunction with passive UHF read/write transponders that are fitted to key replaceable mould tools, allows maintenance records to be written and stored onto that particular tool. This can ensure the optimum refurbishment scheduling of high value mould tools

Predictive maintenance

Critical operating parts of a plastic injection moulding machine which are subject to continuous wear and tear include the plasticising screw pump and associated check valves. As wear increases, this can result in a significant number of rejected parts and expensive financial losses. This situation can be resolved by monitoring the changes in the operating power curve characteristics of the screw pump and the pressure loading at the check valves.
Integration of a “MICA Energy” variant provides RS485 Modbus TCP/IP compatible I/O interfaces for linking to the appropriate functional I/O blocks on a machine that access this specific operating data. By pre-setting critical safe operational limits, the “MICA Energy” can set up alarm conditions for when these limits are breached, allowing machine operators to carry out corrective maintenance as part of the important predictive maintenance process.

Conclusion
Harting’s MICA (Modular Industrial Computing Architecture) range of rugged, compact edge computing device variants are ideal for applying cost-effective digital retrofit Industry 4.0 productivity improvements into existing plastics injection moulding production facilities. They can smarten up legacy machines, enabling users to get more out of existing and often aging assets. Through the collection of smart performance data, MICA can help to identify weaknesses in the production process and opportunities for improvement. They can also extend machine lifetime, increase machine service intervals and reduce line downtime.

MICA provides a platform to enable the best business decisions to be taken to optimise return on investment on plastics injection moulding line capital projects. Also, by following a step-by-step digital retrofit approach, companies can adjust their Industry 4.0 implementation timing and investment strategy in line with a more manageable phased modernisation approach, according to their available budget and labour resources.

@harting, #PAuto #Plastics

New business in machine vision.

Protacon has strengthened its framework by purchasing the business of Vision Systems a Finnish company. For process industry customers this means an increasingly broad range of services with turn key deliveries that can include, in addition to measurement and quality control solutions, Industry 4.0 technology in the form of remote control as well as equipment functionality analysis.

Kari Pellinen (left) and Kari Rahkola

With the deal, the product portfolio and all employees of Vision Systems will be transferred to Protacon to form a completely new business unit specialised in machine vision.

“There are not many companies offering as broad range of services and we therefore believe that with this package we will be an even more interesting partner to paper industry customers, for example”, says Kari Pellinen, CEO of Protacon Technologies.

According to Mr. Pellinen, great growth potential is still linked to the utilisation of machine vision solutions in different industries, such as the wood processing and the metal and steel industry – as well as health technology.

“Generally, benefits can be found in areas where machine vision can help detect things that are invisible to the human eye, particularly when the object moves. For example, it can improve efficiency of production equipment”, he explains.

The transaction is a continuum to Protacon's investment in industrial integration services. In the past year, the company purchased several businesses that strengthen its concept of operation. Kari Rahkola, the owner of Vision Systems, a company founded more than 30 years ago, reflected upon various possibilities regarding the future of his company.

“I considered options of growing our business further and providing the best possible opportunities for success to our highly skilled and committed personnel also in the future. I have been following Protacon's strong development for a long time and my confidence in future perspectives is strong. In a larger company, the visibility and foothold in the market will certainly bring new opportunities and boost our business”, Mr. Rahkola says.

Kari Rahkola believes that there will be a great number of remarkable benefits for both parties, some of which are not yet even visible.

“A package containing a sufficient number of positive items creates a virtuous circle helping to find larger entities – good things will lead to other good things.”

@protacon #PAuto 

Postioning in world of Industrie 4.0!

The detection of objects in systems is an important part of automation today. Objects have to be reliably detected and measured, as well as verifying that they are correctly positioned. The scope of possible applications is almost limitless and is continuously expanding (for example, detecting valve and flap positions, the position of PV panels for optimal exposure to light, the position of a ship's rudder, automation tasks in the machine-tool industry, etc.)

As well as measuring and displaying electrical parameters, Camille Bauer Metrawatt AG offers position sensoring solutions for angular position and tilt measurements. These precision sensors are an important link between the mechanical hardware and control intelligence. Under the KINAX brand name, the product offering ranges from basic to the robust devices needed for applications in harsh environments Based on a unique measurement concept and housing design, the position sensors ensure very high levels of precision, reliability and durability. Their primary objective is to ensure that systems, productions and processes operate trouble-free over the long term.

The function of these angular transducers is to capture rotational or translational movement and convert it into an electrical output signal. The mechanical structure of the sensors is designed to withstand very high stresses and offers, in combination with the patented and wear-proof capacitive-based measurement process, measurement results that are reliable at all times. A plug-and-play system ensures that on-site commissioning is very simple. Even redundant measurements can be performed easily with the help of hollow shaft transmitter.

As well as classical angular transducers, their product portfolio also includes tilt sensors. Using the principle of the plumb line, these sensors capture deviations from the horizontal or the vertical, with reference to the Earth's gravity. The main advantage compared to transmitter in this case, is that the mechanical coupling is takes places directly with the object to be measured. The parameter settings are straightforward and performed on-site. No time-consuming calibration is required and absolute measurement values are available at all times. In addition, the high quality of the housing material and the high degree of protection guarantee maximum durability.

With the KINAX HW730 angular transducer, Camille Bauer Metrawatt AG now joins the world of Industry 4.0. Thanks to the direct Ethernet link via Modbus TCP, data consistency is ensured from the sensor up to the control and data centres. It should be noted that, thanks to the Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) technology, the operating voltage is sourced directly through the Modbus TCP. This completely eliminates the need for communication gateways and reduces the complexity, design effort and, above all, costs.

• Camille Baur products are marketed in Ireland through Irish Power & Process.

#CamilleBauer #Pauto @irishpwrprocess 

Digital innovation!

Enterprising students who are pioneering digital innovation will have the chance to win £2,500 in a new competition.

The Digital Innovation Challenge, which has been organised in association with The University of Manchester, aims to showcase and recognise the capabilities of students in digital innovation.

A prize of £2,500 will be given to the individual or team that presents the best innovation to meet any challenge relating to Industry 4.0 – the term that describes the next generation of smart manufacturing. This competition offers students the chance to present in front of a panel of Industry 4.0 experts, as well as exhibit at the Factories of the Future Expo to be hosted in Manchester.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate your innovation and also to network with companies, investors, employers, policy-makers and academics,” said competition co-organiser Dr Carl Driver from The University of Manchester (GB). Dr Driver explained that Industry 4.0 is a term that describes the technological breakthroughs that will power the next industrial revolution.

He added: “It’s about connectivity between people, machines and devices, analysing large volumes of ‘Big Data’ to boost efficiency, working with ‘cobots’ - collaborative robots which work closely with humans – as well as using augmented reality and 3D printing. It’s also about making industry smarter, more flexible and more efficient.”

The 2018 competition is open to both individuals and teams. Teams can contain up to six people but the team must be either current students (undergraduate or postgraduate from any higher education Institution) or have graduated after June 2013.

The deadline for competition entry is Monday 15th January 2018 at 23:59Hrs. • See also Chair announced ag Industry 4 event (7/11/2017).

@Industry_4 #PAuto #Britain

Digital mobile maintenance.

Digital mobile maintenance is a technique for quickly and easily making production process productivity improvements for minimal investment through the application of digitalisation as part of an Industry 4.0 plant implementation programme.

Manufacturing maintenance specialists are already using tablet computers to directly access key machinery digital equipment histories, documents and PLC programs on site. However, they can also gain extra operational benefits by importing machine data directly from the PLC to the tablet. Such an approach can allow, for example, for the integration of additional predictive maintenance process instruction re-programming, extending the life of existing machines and preventing line breakdowns caused by catastrophic tooling failures.

This article shows how such process improvement can be achieved by integrating Harting’s MICA, a Modular Industrial Computing Architecture edge computer, which can communicate data between the different machine proprietary operating systems and directly forward it to an operator’s tablet device. MICA can also store and process the data in accordance with pre-determined operational maintenance limits, and consequently operators can arrange modification to PLC programming as appropriate, thus optimising processes and reducing machine downtime.

MICA is very compact, has a degree of protection rating of IP67 and can easily be located directly on the machine, which may be operating in harsh environmental conditions. Alternatively, a DIN rail mounting option is available for location within the machine’s control cabinet.

There are no operating restrictions with MICA. Open software architecture runs in virtual Linux based containers on top of a streamlined base operating system. Each application runs “sandboxed” in its own container with all libraries and drivers. Communication between containers requires a separate IP address, ensuring data security. Standard containers are available from HARTING’s web site for downloading systems such as Java, Python, C/C++, OPC-UA, databases and Web toolkits. Standard tools (e.g. HTML5 and JavaScript) are used to programme and maintain MICA, making it very user-friendly for people with basic IT knowhow skills. The system is customisable so that other containers can be accommodated. This also means that it is potentially able to communicate with most existing machine operating systems.

In addition to solutions to technical challenges such as digital mobile maintenance, digitalisation projects highlight new ways of co-operation between inter-company departments. This highlights one of the great benefits about digitalisation: it enables organisations to better connect their systems with one another and also with their employees.

MICA enables integration of higher levels of intelligence into existing manufacturing plants for Smart Factory deployment. It provides the pre-analytical link between the factory-floor sensor level and the analytical/big-data cloud. Most importantly, it supports production process improvements including lower complexity and increased modularity, and facilitates cost reduction.

@harting #TandM

Industry 4.0 an industrial communications.

Harting  is showing its range of Industry 4.0 solutions, incorporating Modular Integrated Computer Architecture for industrial networking, and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) systems at next month's Industry 4.0 summit (4th-5th April 2017 Manchester GB)

Harting’s approach to smart manufacturing is grounded in the addition of intelligence to manufacturing processes with the aim of achieving a high level of connectivity, visibility, awareness, and adaptability at all stages in the supply chain. By enhancing users’ processes with RFID technology, Harting makes it possible to implement solutions that deliver real profitability gains without the need for re-engineering already proven, stable manufacturing processes.

Their Integrated Industry/IoT systems involve the use of RFID based technology to collect manufacturing data which can then be analysed and “operationalised”. This allows production lines to be adjusted, maintained, or re-tooled, based on live, accurate, production information that assists in creating a competitive advantage in complex markets.

At the Industry 4.0 Summit, Harting will demonstrate a practical implementation of these concepts developed for Tritec Systems Ltd., a leading British control systems integrator. Tritec’s integration solution is built around a simple industrial HMI equipment interface, and enables rapid and easy integration of RFID with PLC control systems. To minimise the need for customisation Tritec needed a range of RFID readers that could be deployed in a wide variety of situations and yet communicate over standard networking interfaces and protocols. The company chose Harting's wide range of RFID products because they are suitable for use in almost all industrial and commercial application areas including manufacturing, transport, infrastructure, stock/asset tracking and many others.

Also featured is Harting’s capability to allow manufacturers to integrate together the two key manufacturing IoT elements machine-to-machine communications and manufacturing logistics. This is through its new open-source industrial computing device known as MICA (Modular Industrial Computing Architecture). MICA can save, evaluate and process data from sensors, and can then either act as a stand-alone offline computer that can make local decisions, or operate as a gateway via the internet to allow access to a higher-level IT system.

“By applying both of these innovative Harting solutions - passive UHF RFID and MICA technology - production line manufacturing managers can monitor the condition status of key machinery in real time for material supply chain management or preventative maintenance issues”, comments Howard Forryan, Product Marketing Specialist: “They can then carry out continuous control adjustments through the separate simple, compact and reliable computing device which provides secure access to the main operating software system to maximise process efficiencies. As a consequence, users can achieve important productivity gains.”

MICA operates with open architecture software, allowing it to be easily customised. Software applications run in Linux-based containers which hold all the necessary libraries and drivers. As a result, there should be no concerns over data security when MICA is allowed access to a higher-level production operating network.

New connectivity products shown by Harting include a range of sensor/actuator boxes which allow sensors to be quickly and easily connected to passive distributor boxes using standard M8 and M12 slots. With a choice of 4, 8 or 10 slots, the sensor cables no longer have to be drawn from the sensor into the control cabinet, but only to the local, application-led distributor box. The rest is taken care of by a master line to the control cabinet.

By using the new sensor/actuator boxes, users will save both time and money. Installation is much quicker, and costs are reduced because fewer lengths of cable are needed between the sensor and the control cabinet.

@Harting #Pauto #industrie40

Industrial software roadshow for Cork.

Wonderware Ireland is hosting a special event at Fota Island Resort, Cork (IRL), to give manufacturers and system integrators an exclusive look at the company’s new developments.

Taking place on the 29th March 2017, the Next Generation Roadshow will explore Wonderware’s latest innovations, as well as providing delegates with a greater understanding of the future of the industrial landscape and how they can ensure they are prepared for it.

The main event will run from 8:45am until 12:55pm, before heading into the afternoon hands-on session which will run until 5:00pm. The whole day is free to attend. Delegates must register in advance.

The day will begin with a look into the digitisation advancements within industrial automation, before discussing the OT (Operational Technology) networking landscape and managing operational Big Data.

Wonderware Ireland will also introduce its Next Generation SCADA - their upcoming release developed to provide greater simplicity, flexibility and scope. The Next Generation SCADA’s improvements include an enhanced UI visual experience with “out-of-the-box” content and process visualisation standards, web-based access and a heightened ability to access and aggregate IIoT data.

An optional afternoon session will then see Systems Architects take attendees through a practical workshop. This will allow them to get hands-on with the technologies that are bringing connected and future-proof industrial environments into fruition, before finishing with an opportunity to discuss issues one-on-one with Wonderware’s team of technical experts.

Aidan Finnegan, Wonderware Regional Manager for Ireland, said: “Following the success of the new-concept Wonderware event late last year, we decided to bring the roadshow back to Fota Island Resort in Cork. The event will give manufacturing organisations and system integrators a chance to get a look at new and upcoming concepts, as well as giving them hands-on demonstrations to help future-proof their business.

“The event has been planned to ensure delegates get the most out of the event, with our specialist team of technical consultants being readily on hand to ensure attendees leave more informed about the new products and services which are continuing to keep their systems more secure than ever.”

@WonderwareUK  #PAuto #SCADA  #Ireland

Examining the fourth industrial revolution!

Key companies at the forefront of the 4th industrial revolution have confirmed their participation at the Industry 4.0 Summit. This is scedulee to be held in Manchester (GB) on 4th-5th April 2017.  A combined high-level conference & trade exhibition the event is attracting support of many leading automation & technology companies such as Schneider Electric, Rockwell Automation, SMC Pneumatics, Panduit, EPlan, Murrelektroik and Bosch Rexroth, who are also the headline sponsor.

The four industrial revolutions.

B&R Automation, are another leading automation company exhibiting at the event, and their Regional Manager Andrew Norcliffe commented on the reason for their involvement  "B&R provides manufacturers with innovative hardware and software solutions to bring their factory into the 21st century. What better place to promote our technology than in the heart of the Northern Powerhouse, Manchester, at the Industry 4.0 Summit. We are delighted to be involved in the event look forward to sharing our own experiences of modernising our 65,000 square metre factory in Austria with visitors to the show."

Event Director Gary Gilmour commented “We have been really encouraged by the level of support that this new event has received. With support from trade associations such as Gambica and the Industrial Internet Consortium, to endorsement from the government’s Innovate UK, through to incredible speakers from Airbus, Siemens, Unilever and of course all the exhibitors we have secured, we believe we have a great event that will educate British businesses on what the benefits of Industry 4.0 can deliver, and to see the latest technology from companies driving the 4th industrial revolution.”

The organisers will be delivering 40 leading speakers on industry 4.0, IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) and smart factories. The event aims to attract 300 conference delegates as well as 60 exhibiting companies & 3,000 visitors to the trade exhibition.

@Industry_4 @BR_Automation #industrie4 #PAuto

Industrial communication for the process industry in the context of Industrie 4.0.

The technologies of PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI) have been firmly established in process automation for years.

PROFIBUS PA is recognized as the most powerful proven fieldbus platform. PROFINET has been expanded in response to specific requirements from users in the process industries. As a backbone PROFINET is therefore ideally suited for the merging of process data stored in control systems and field devices. This was good reason for PI to merge these two market leading technologies into a future-oriented solution that will enable operators of process-related plants to continue using proven installed technology and to simultaneously access the latest technologies and Industrie 4.0.

To achieve this goal, a corresponding multi-phase project with support of well-known users was launched within PI to establish PROFINET broadly in all sectors of the process industry down to the field level. The project objectives are, on the one hand, medium-term objectives, for the deliberate purpose of adapting to technologies currently undergoing development or specification. On the other hand, the use of PROFINET is already a reality for process-related applications that do not require explosion protection (such as the water/wastewater and food sectors). Here PROFINET as system bus not only carries out the backbone function but also extends down to the field level, where it provides functions such as network diagnostics and topology detection.

Already specified and thus foreseeable are products and solutions in which existing or new PROFIBUS PA segments can be connected to PROFINET via intelligent, cross-vendor standardized link components (proxy technologies) with little engineering effort. Work is currently underway on an update to the profile for PA devices that will enable direct connection of process field devices to PROFINET and the corresponding mapping for use in non-hazardous areas. As a particularly ambitious goal, current efforts for an Ethernet solution for hazardous areas and long cable distances are being intensively pursued.

Industrie 4.0 requires Industrial Ethernet as its "lifeline", and PROFINET is very well suited for that. The project launched by PI will merge PROFIBUS PA and PROFINET by first connecting existing PA solutions followed by gradual integration or development of PROFINET technologies needed for PA. This procedure will make PROFIBUS PA into a future-proof building block for Industrie 4.0 applications in process technology.

• Details on the "Industrial Ethernet in the Process Industry" project are contained in a PI white paper available for free download.

Enabling innovation for Industrie 4.0.

In the Industry 4.0, Internet of Things, and Big Data environment, industrial communication is of central importance. The close networking of automation components, machines, systems, and IT systems needed for this, including across locations or even between different companies, is only possible with standardised and integrated communication.

In recent years, PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI) has brought about numerous developments that meet these requirements. An important boundary condition in this regard is the openness of the technologies. That is, specifications and guidelines are available to any interested party for implementation in products or use in systems and applications. This has been a foundation pillar for the success of PI technologies since the beginning.

Industry 4.0 calls for easy-to-handle solutions that are characterised by high performance capability for real-time, availability, flexible topologies, and integration – even over great distances – and that also make use of the many possibilities of the digital world. Solutions in conjunction with the Internet of Things require transmission of large data quantities in real time. The developments concerning all aspects of PROFINET are particularly noteworthy in this regard. PROFINET is currently the only standard that supports the complete real-time bandwidth, from hard real-time requirements in high-performance machines with the necessary openness for IP communication all the way to transmission of large data quantities in real-time within automation systems and with higher-level IT systems.

The PROFINET developments for the process industry are being approached under the perspective of Industry 4.0. The purpose of the integrated information flow is to improve networking of processes, for instance, to enable more effective maintenance activities. Today's intelligent field devices already supply not only measured quantities and manipulated variables but also information regarding, for example, the amount of wear still available and process-related conditions. The meaning of this status and diagnostic information must be clear in order for relevant, sound decisions to be made from it. Here, the technologies of PROFIBUS and PROFINET offer practical solutions such as transmission of device status according to NAMUR recommendation 107.

The finalisation of the FDI Specification, in which PI was significantly involved, at the end of last year was crucial for the process industry. This marked an important step towards easier, cross-vendor device integration – a primary requirement for integrated communication between devices and systems. The vendor-neutral OPC-UA interface has already been specified proactively in FDI. This satisfies another precondition for straightforward read out of information – the basis for innovative ideas in the context of Industry 4.0. In the Industry 4.0 Implementation Strategy, FDI is also indicated as the single approach for realisation of functional and information layers.

Promoting Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 is a hot topic throughout the industry. Mitsubishi Electric has been actively involved in the development of Industry 4.0 standard specifications in Germany.  Taku Shigihara, Team Leader Application Engineering and Development Team at Mitsubishi Electric, explains: "Mitsubishi Electric is a long-serving member of the industrial associations VDMA and ZVEI who have decided to define a standard for Industry 4.0. In order to ensure that the efforts made are not without meaning, the project needs to be developed accordingly as soon as possible. That is why Mitsubishi Electric now wants to play an even more active role."

The industry and research sectors in Japan and the USA have also recognised how important implementing the ideas behind Industry 4.0 is in order to be able to carry out production flexibly and cost-effectively and to meet global requirements. "As the largest automation supplier to the Asian market, Mitsubishi Electric has also taken the 'German approach' based on Industry 4.0 in Asia", he continues. "Relocating production abroad is not healthy for a country's economy in the long term. That is why the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership initiative was set up in the USA, where the level of software competence is so high, in order to address the subject of Industry 4.0. What that means for Germany and Europe is that ideas previously put down on paper now need to be put into practice and implemented in order to ensure that we don't get left behind. That’s something that Mitsubishi Electric wants to be actively involved in."

Originally regarded as the fourth industrial revolution, it has since become clear that Industry 4.0 is more of a continuous process of improvement. The intention is to unify interfaces and communication channels in order to realise transparent vertical and horizontal integration and bring optimum benefit for the customer as a result. Mitsubishi Electric has always carried out a continuous process of improvement. Throughout its history, the company has continuously integrated IT and production optimisation systems in its automation environment by implementing Kaizen, Poka-Yoke or the Toyota Production Management System.

Five years ago, Mitsubishi Electric launched the MES IT interface module on the market that enables the production environment to be vertically integrated at enterprise level. New control systems such as the integrated modular controllers from the iQ-R series, for example, are already equipped with some of the functions of the MES IT module ex works, enabling them to carry out such tasks as writing to databases via the CPU and managing data. In addition, the security aspect has always played a particularly significant role for Mitsubishi Electric. Essential security features have been significantly improved in order to ensure that the iQ-R series is optimally set up for Internet services such as the "Internet of Things" or the "Internet of Services".

"Through our commitment to the development of Industry 4.0 standards, we want to help our German and European customers to create a modern, efficient production environment so that they can remain future-proof. That is the only way that they will also be able to continue to expand their market leadership as exporters to Asia", says Taku Shigihara. "Compatibility with CC-Link is another decisive factor in this respect. The open automation network has its roots in Asia where it is the market leader. CC-Link in conjunction with the switching of production to Industry 4.0 can pave the way to the Asian market for European companies."

See Industry 4 on Wikipedia.